"Holy Cow....Almost"

"You knew they would blow it in the end."  That was the comment of an on/off Cubs fan friend of mine.  Well, yes, I knew that there was a chance that they wouldn't win, but more importantly, I knew that there was a chance that they would win.  That's what makes being a true Cubs fan so special.  As a child, I remember listening to Cubs games on hot summer days.  My father would be working in the yard, accompanied by the voice of Harry Caray on the radio.  I remember how excited we would be when we would hear the booming, "HOLY COW!" and singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch. The great thing about being a Cubs fan is that you would have a few seasons of inactivity but then *BANG* something great happens, and there would be the hope that this would be the year.  (Remember 1984?)  The Cubs bring people together.  Sure, it's great when the Yankees have yet another consecutive win, but it doesn't equal the feeling of a Cubs win.  Wearing a Cubs shirt almost always guarantees a stranger will smile and say, "This could be the year!"   How many times since 1908, has a father taken his son to the ballgame, and hoped that the season would end in victory?  Okay, so it hasn't yet, but how many teams can boast multi-generational bonding like that?  Being a Cubs fan brings families together.  It teaches us that even though you might not win, doesn't mean you shouldn't give it your all.   I'm not saying that I wouldn't be thrilled if the Cubbies actually won a World Series.  I would cheer just as wildly and be just as proud as the next fan. Until then I will look forward in anticipation to each new season.  So, at the end of the Cubbies 2003 season, I say thank you for another year of fun, excitement, cheers and, admittedly tears.  It will be a year my kids won't forget, sitting together, cheering every catch and high-fiving every run. Being a Cubs fan is never a disappointment.  It's a lesson in perseverance.  So to those who say they knew the Cubs would blow it, I say,"Just wait till next year!"