feeling warm and nostalgic tonight
My dad and I have been Seattle Seahawks fans since our respective births. I'm in my 30s now, and tomorrow the Seahawks play in a big game. We're so giddy with excitement - setting our jerseys out and getting game day snacks ready. This game is different because this team hasn't been good good since 2014. When you wait 12 years for this moment, it's a bigger deal.
But it's not really about the Seahawks. It's not really about the sport.
It's about my relationship with my dad.
For over 30 years, my dad and I have had a weekend ritual. A day blocked out on the calendar, not to be scheduled over. A few hours dedicated to spending time together and engaging in a shared activity. And yes, over the years we've missed Sundays, when I was in college we'd be on the phone instead of in person. But watching football together every weekend has been one of the best bonding experiences for our father-daughter relationship. Setting aside regular time to do a fun thing together is good for any relationship, frankly.
It's also about my identity.
My dad and I were both born and raised in Seattle. The Seahawks aren't just a sports team, they're a symbol, a piece of the fabric of our environment. The Seahawks were a big part of our culture growing up, and culture shapes identity.
For example, there's a local radio broadcaster, Steve Raible, who's been calling Seahawks games for over 30 years. He's known as "The Voice of the Seahawks." I'll never forget watching an impossible comeback unfold right before our eyes, my dad and I jumping up and down and running around the house in glee, with Steve Raible's voice screaming from the tv, "TOUCHDOWN SEAHAWKS!!!"
I moved across the country a few years ago for work, and my dad followed me in his retirement. We haven't been able to listen to Steve Raible call the games, but tonight I found a way for us to access the local broadcast from back home.
I guess what I'm feeling right now is nostalgia, plus something else. For our team to play in this game tomorrow, for us to feel giddy and excited that our team has their first real shot at a championship in 12 years, for us to hear Steve Raible call the game again...it's like going back in time. Not just re-membering it, but actually getting to re-live it.
None of my friends like sports, and I get it. Why spend so much time and energy watching other people throw a ball around? But for me, it's not about the game. It's about what the game has given me.