Yes, that is me wearing a Cubs t-shirt. (Actually this tee was my treat for having a good day at the dentist. No cavities for me! Yes, I'm a five year old).
Why is this a big deal? Because I was born and raised in Southern Illinois, and was therefore a Cardinals fan. GASP! So, how can this be? Love makes you do crazy things people. Doug is a Cubs fan. If anyone gives him flack about being a Cubs fan, he busts out the story of his 96 year old grandma and her 95 year old sister that still live together in an apartment and watch or listen to every Cubs game, even though they have never experienced a Cubs World Series in their lifetime. It's something that he was born into and he will not give up.
Well, when we started dating, we knew this was going to be a problem. We were in a mixed relationship, Cardinals and Cubs fans. While many couples can make this work, we knew that it would be hard. There would be long series, there would be a whole month of September with the Cardinals playing and the Cubs sitting at home eating nachos. There would be taunts and teases and such. We decided early on that we would raise the children Red Sox fans, since they are in a different league and Doug lived in Boston for a while, then, when they were old enough, we would let the children decide for themselves.
Then one night, after particularly bad Cubs beat down, and some pretty cruel taunts from friends (all of whom are Cards fans), I got to thinking about my true allegiance. It would be nice for my husband to have some support in his fandom. Also, when he asked me to name five Cards players, I named Mike Matheny, who apparently hasn't played for quite a while and is actually their manager now. Okay, so I don't know anything about the Cards. I was just a fan out of habit, and to annoy my husband.
In actuality, I know quite a bit about the Cubs. CSN Chicago is on every night in our house, so I know the players (although not now, since they traded like every one I knew earlier this week), I know the management, and I can honestly hold a conversation about Cubs games and management.
Also, when we got married, Doug was Methodist and he became a Lutheran for me. Isn't changing your religion on par with changing your baseball team?
Let's be real. This isn't about religion or baseball or records or any of that. It's about fashion. I don't look good in red. It's hard being a Cards fan if you can't wear read, and the Cubbie Bear is so cute! And blue is really my color. And I love that they incorporate the green into game shirts because it really brings out my eyes. So, yeah, I'm a Cubs fan now for the t-shirts. I'm a girl and yes I do sometimes pick teams to root for based on the colors. Get over it.
And raising little Cubbies is actually a good thing if you think about it. They learn to be gracious losers and they aren't boastful, because what would they have to boast about. Also, they learn that things don't always go your way, but playing your best is more important than winning. I honestly think that there is a parenting book in there somewhere, like "Cubbie Bear Parenting", or something like that.
Although I'm still going to write a book called "Why Does Daddy Cry on Game Day?: A Practical Guide for Cubs Families".
But I can make those kind of jokes because I'm a Cubs fan now.
Go, Cubs, Go!
Happy Reading
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