Let's just get something out on the table: you have to exhibit a certain degree of egotistical S-O-B whereupon beginning a blog. You have thoughts (perhaps delusions of grandeur) of I have something to say, and the world wants/needs to listen. And "Shades of Blue" is no exception. It's not a messianic blog, sent down from heaven in humility to save the integrity of all other blogs. Nope. It's pretty much just an extension of my ego in written form. The first step, bloggers, is admittance. *see: Overcoming the Pernicious Backslide Into Blogging, my new self-help book on how to overcome this form of self-indulgence. I'll break ground on it later. Anyway, I admit that this blog was birthed from the idea that the world may give a damn about what I have to say. Perhaps my mother and father performed Inception on me, infiltrating the deep recesses of my sub-conscious and implanting this idea using that machine that we have no idea how it works and hasn't been invented yet (in my dreams my dad assumes the form of Leonardo DiCaprio; things are just more convincing when Leonardo says them to you). I digress. While this blog does serve to feed my ego and the thought that you may want to read whatever it is I have to say, it is simply that. You may want to read it. If at any point you feel that your time could be better spent, please divert your attention to more stimulating and fruitful pursuits. My ego can take it. Remember, I've started a blog...
Every blogger should probably have a focus to their writing - some issue or sphere of life that they have passion for and possess insight into, something that gives their writing personality. If Bobby Flay started a blog about politics it would probably suck...at least when compared to George Stephanopoulos's. No, he should stick to grilling. My blog will not be based upon government or my cooking prowess, lest the reader be forced to absorb my thoughts about passionate moderation and cheesy pasta. The focus of my blog will instead revolve around the world of sports (and I've just lost every female reader). Sports have always held my fascination. Most avid fans probably cannot articulate their unhealthy level of interest in sports, and I'm no different. Why watch? Why care? Why in the world should you read about it?? I could respond by telling you that that there are profound themes woven into sports, such as superheroes masquerading in uniforms, pursuit of the physically impossible, sacrifice and perseverance of the body in order to attain glory, and the cohesiveness of a team demonstrating that they are greater than the sum of their parts. All of these I have found in sports, but perhaps the greatest reason I can give in defense of my obsession is that within the games lies a window into our society. The same themes that we find peppered in the human condition - love and hate, justice and injustice, selflessness and self-centeredness, community and individualism, camaraderie and loneliness, victory and defeat - are mirrored on the gridiron, the diamond, and the court. These athletes, who we tend to venerate as larger than life, can rise and fall, sometimes in an instant. Like the ebb and flow of life's trials, they too are in need of grace. And every day something new can happen, something extraordinary and breathtaking, if we have the eyes to notice it...kind of like life. So I prefer to see this undertaking as a commentary on life and humanity, as seen through the lens of sports. I dubbed it "Shades of Blue" because my utmost love in sports is for baseball and the Kansas City Royals, from whence I hail. I know it sounds abstract and profound, and maybe down the road we'll discover together that the title is in fact a double entendre...or a triple or quadruple entendre. But really all it serves for the moment is to tip you off to the fact that I'm a Royals fan. It sounded cooler than "I'm a Royals Fan". I hope you enjoy it!
