"It is unsinkable. God himself couldn't sink this ship."
Okay, most folks by now have seen James Cameron's landmark film, Titanic. I remember my wife and I hoping that it would bomb at the box office. Any film that cost that much money, just to re-tell a story that everybody already knew, sounded ridiculous to us. However, when we did finally see it, our opinions were quickly changed. I thought it was great. I own it on DVD and we watch it periodically.
Having written this, what follows really has nothing to do with the film. In 1907 and 1908, the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball Team won back to back World Series Championships. I'm quite certain, though there is doubtless very few people still alive to ask, that some idiot paraphrased the above line in the following manner: "God Himself could not beat the Chicago Cubs!"
Monday night, being a baseball fan, I sat in agony and watched the San Francisco Giants win and then celebrate a World Series Championship. It was not upsetting because I didn’t want them to win, even though I was actually rooting for the Texas Rangers to win. No, I was bothered by the terrible fact that I was once again watching some other team other than by beloved Chicago Cubs win a championship.
Now, before some uninformed person attempts to cheer me up, or worse, to chide me for “crying about” some trivial matter such as this; know this: it has been exactly 102 years since they last won what the Giants just shocked the world by doing. And that’s the other sobering thing about this particular win. Other than the pitching staff of 2-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain and closer Brian Wilson, they were a team of misfits. Nearly their entire roster was made up of players that nobody else wanted. World Series MVP Edgar Renteria was hurt three times and was widely suspected to be contemplating retirement during the season; Cody Ross was released by the Florida Marlins in late August; Aubrey Huff has been on 5 teams in ten years; Mike Fontenot, Freddy Sanchez, Pat Burrell - it's pretty much all the same.
In recent years, I have watched the Boston Red Sox break their terrible dry spell by winning it all, as well as the Chicago White Sox and now the Giants. In spite of the fact that I was not rooting for the Giants to win the World Series, I salute their terrific achievement. Congratulations, San Francisco Giants, to you and your fans across the country. You are world champions. Enjoy it, because one never know when or if this will ever happen again. The last time that the Cubs made it as far as the world Series was 1948...
"But this ship can't sink!"
"She's made of iron, sir, I assure you that she can, and she will. It is a mathematical certainty."
Now that I've gotten the depressing stuff out of the way, I'm off to happier news. Wednesday morning I was greeted by an e-mail from one of my newest friends. I have met so many wonderful people during this past year of discovery. The writing should be the highlight; the dream of it all coming true. However, sometimes I wonder whether it is actually the new friends that I never would have had the chance to meet that has been the high point. Jennifer Wylie is one of these new BFF's. If you have yet to meet her, this is your chance. She was kind enough to agree to read my novel and to offer her opinion. Bless her heart, she did, and you can read her wonderful review here. Thank you so much, Jennifer.
This past Saturday, the magazine that I write for was good enough to interview and review me as well. It is called Kings River Life Magazine and it is a local on-line magazine that brings local interest as well as arts & entertainment stories to the California Central Valley. They are even giving away a copy of the novel. That positive review can be read here as well. Not only this, but the same issue this week included my article about a celebrity artist as well as my contribution to a staff article about our collective favorite scary movies (for Halloween).
As if this was not enough, the preceding Friday saw my latest post for the Wicked Writers Blog. If anyone has yet to discover this particular blog, you've got to check us out. I am simply one of eight amazing writers. Again, the prompt was Halloween themed, but our topics are as varied as our genres. We're all terribly wicked, but our genres run the gamut. I am leaving a link here, for those of you who have yet to take the plunge.
Well, I think that's enough. Thanks for taking the time, especially for having to endure the baseball rant. I love my Cubs. I just hope they win one day while I am yet alive to see it.
We'll talk soon.