High Tide

Losing a game is heartbreaking. Losing your sense of excellence or worth is a tragedy. ~Joe Paterno

There are really very few things better on a fall Saturday than watching a Penn State football game. Whether among 110,000 fans in Beaver Stadium or 10 in the living room of your alumni association chapter's president, which is where I viewed tonight's cringe-worthy loss to Alabama, you can't help but feel energized and proud.

I had been kind of apprehensive about going by myself to watch the game with people I'd never met before (not "what if I end up in a ditch somewhere?" apprehensive, but "will it be awkward?" apprehensive), but I figured the worst that could happen was that it would be awkward, and then I would know better next time. At least I'd get to watch the game on a television and not my computer screen. (Yes, that's right. Our house is still television-less, and I am really quite okay with that.) It didn't end up being awkward, though! Success! There's something to be said for stepping outside of one's comfort zone every now and again.

I was very obviously the youngest person there, but I had some interesting conversations (though quite brief, because, honestly, who goes to a football viewing party to chat?), one of which was one big nostalgic love-fest for Wegmans, which has yet to make its way down here. (It might be a while, considering the closest stores to Memphis are in northeastern Virginia...) And I bet you didn't know the chief meteorologist for FedEx is a Penn State grad. (Then again, it might not be that hard to guess. Still, I didn't even know FedEx had meteorologists, though now it makes a lot of sense.) I also met a retired couple who both worked in education and now mentor students at some schools here. Super cute.

The next couple of games should be less frustrating, and I hope I'll be able to spare some time again and join fellow Nittany Lions in rooting for our team. I didn't realize how much I'd missed football until this weekend. Last night, I went to my high school's (not, obviously, the high school from which I graduated, but the high school where I now teach) third game of the season, and it was a ton of fun. We played against the school where one of my roommates teaches, so we went together along with another TFA friend of ours. My school won (woop!), but it was a pretty close (21-14) and exciting game. One of my students made a nice two-point conversion run in the third quarter. Unfortunately, we had been sitting on the opposing team's side that quarter, so I had to keep my jubilant celebration hidden and instead finger-danced quietly.

The only thing the game had in common with Penn State games was the football itself: attendance was pretty pitiful, the announcer was lame, and there was no music and no band for either team, but it still made me long for Beaver Stadium. I wanted to do the "Ohhhhhh"s for kickoffs, wanted to lift someone (or be lifted) after the touchdowns, wanted to scream some PSU cheers. It's hard to say when I'll be back in Happy Valley next, but, man, I hope it falls on a home game weekend.