March Madness

And so it has begun. The madness of March. College basketball at its finest. D doesn't watch basketball of any sort all year long, but come the office pool and I must hunch over his bracket worksheet to help him select the winners.

It's kind of funny. Because I attended a Big Ten school, that had both a kick-ass men's and women's team, I used to be really into basketball. But then I married a guy who had no interest in the sport and eventually my own enthusiasm waned. Now, I'm here in the office and he's out watching the basketball games.

Of course, I think it's my expertise at guessing that has helped him fair well so far in the pool -- but he's the one who carries the enthusiasm. Most importantly, my alma mater won its first round game. Now, I will just hold my breath to see how well they do the rest of the tournament.

My junior year, our women's team won their tournament. It was a marvelous night of riots, school spirit and unity. The students poured onto the street sing the school song, congratulating each other (did it matter that, really, we had no part in the actual win of the game?) and knowing that the next day classes would only be consumed with talks of the great game.

It is an experience you hope that all people get to have at least once. That unified, jubilant experience of team success.