Missing The Party

Even though I'm not a big hockey fan, it's still exciting to see the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. One of my friends mentioned on Facebook that she was going to the big parade this morning, which sounded pretty cool, although since I'm writing this post from Portland attending the parade isn't an option for me. That caused me to realize that this is the third time in the last five years that I've been out-of-town during a big-deal event in Chicago.

In October, 2005, I was on my way to visit friends in London when the White Sox won the World Series. And I literally mean "on my way." I was on the flight from Chicago to London when the pilot made the announcement that the Sox had won, which caused lots of cheering and clapping from the passengers. Unfortunately, I didn't get the full "group of strangers sharing a common happiness" experience when the announcement was made, because I was in the little airplane lavatory at the time, but never mind that. It was a great moment in Chicago's history.

By November, 2008, those same friends had moved to Dubai and I was visiting them there on election night, so I experienced the historic election and Grant Park celebration by watching it virtually on my friend's laptop.

Now I'm once again sharing an exciting Chicago moment from afar. Don't misunderstand - I'm having a great time here in Portland and there's nowhere I'd rather be. And for the record, I was also here for Portland's last (well, er, only,) World Championship In Sports moment, which was when the TrailBlazers won the NBA finals back in 1977. No watching stuff online in those days - you had to be there.

So no parade for me today, but I'm a proud Chicagoan just the same. One more time, with feeling: Go Hawks!