In this country
It had been thirteen years since I last went to a cricket game at the Gabba. Back then a school mate invited me in to see England take on the Queensland Bulls in a day-nighter. Thirteen years on history repeated itself yesterday when a mate invited me to see Australia take on Pakistan. What people find to love about cricket is beyond my understanding. I’ve searched for this passion a few times in the past but have come up short every time. In all honesty I’ve never got into it and it seems futile to try and escape the game this nation so warmly embraces. Since cricket is so engrained into our culture it wasn’t surprising to see people of different generations all eagerly watching athletes who were pretty handy with a bat and ball. Fathers with their young sons, young men turning up after work in suits and ties, taking in a few sips of the amber ale, all the way up to elderly gentlemen taking in a few breaths of oxygen through a mask while bound to their wheelchairs. Is it the game they love, or is it something more?
Although I love my country, I don’t count myself to be overly patriotic. Although we all come from different backgrounds and cultures I count everyone all on the same level. We are human, not human based on nationality. When I was at the game last night I did however feel a greater love for my country when I was seated in a stadium full of people all united for Australia. After this, I guess it was safe to say that people use the game to channel their love for this great land. I certainly did.
As I watched the Pakistani players on the field I was reminded of the cricketers who were fired upon in Lahore last year. I thought about how they are free to play in this land without fear of being shot. As I watched the Australian players on the field I thought about the Australian athletes that are gearing up to play in the Commonwealth Games in India with all the speculation of threats to their safety hanging over their heads. Yet, in this land these Australian athletes are free.
By the time the skies overhead transformed into night I had well and truly lost that zeal I had for the game six hours prior, but as I sat back with my mates and had a good look around at my fellow Australians, I counted myself immensely fortunate to be both born and to have lived in this land, particularly while growing up. With Australia Day next week, going to the game last night set me in a great mood to celebrate and reflect on what it means to be an Aussie.
I did record the above vid in 720p HD but for whatever reason it’s not allowing me to imbed it here. To view - http://vimeo.com/8925711?hd=1
This entry was posted on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 9:15 pm and is filed under Ponderings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
