Should I be concerned that the older I get, the more of a cliché I will become? Am I destined to be just another crabby, old man, who refuses to change with the times, and who wants the world to go back to the way it was when he was young, oh, so many years ago? (Some people who know me might say I have already crossed that threshold.)
Is this really who I’ve become? Hop aboard the introspection train along with me and let’s find out together, shall we?
Here’s something that definitely marks me as a cranky, old geezer who hates fun. My wife and I have attended a handful of NBA games in recent years, but it is unlikely we’ll ever go to another one. Why? It’s too goddamn loud, that’s why! You’d think that given the gradual loss of hearing I’ve experienced as I’ve aged, that louder would be better. But, it isn’t.
I get especially annoyed at attempts to artificially stimulate the crowd while the actual game is going on. I say, let the crowd respond to the action on the court. You know, sometimes the home team is not playing very well, and we in the crowd do not feel like cheering. That’s okay. You want us to cheer? Then do something worthy of it. Let it happen naturally.
I don’t like the pounding, pulsating cacophony during the time outs, either. However, I do understand the reasoning behind keeping the fans engaged and entertained during the down periods when nothing is happening in the game. Admittedly, some people seem to enjoy the deafening music, and the free t-shirts, and the fan cams, and all of that. They’re trying to create a party atmosphere, I guess. I understand why they do it, but I still don’t like it.
Attending an NBA game is an assault on the senses. It is too much for an old goat, such as myself. So, I won’t be going back. Ah, it’s just as well, anyway. Whatever the opposite of being loud and boisterous in public is, well, that’s what I am. A whole arena of Norms would certainly be a quiet, subdued affair.
Some folks might be thinking, “But, Norm, you have written about going to see Foo Fighters. Which must have been pretty loud. Why is that different than going to a basketball game?” Well, when I go to a basketball game, I go to see basketball. I go for the spectacular shot-making, the impressive feats of athleticism, and the spirited competition. I do not go to hear loud music, or to see a gyrating dance troupe, or to get a South Beach club experience.
When I go to see a band like Foo Fighters, I go to have my eyebrows blown off.
That’s the difference.
https://thestormbynorm.substack.com/p/fighting-foo-with-the-foo-fighters
Oh, well. I’m sure my seat at the basketball games will be filled by someone much younger, who will be the kind of fan the NBA teams hope to have fill their arenas - young, demonstrative, and willing to spend money. I doubt they’ll miss me.
The question I ask myself is, “Will I miss them?” And, invariably, the answer is “No.” I suppose I get too much aggravation from attending the games these days. The entertainment value has diminished for me over the years. So, why go?
I mean, yes, there certainly is an attraction to seeing an event unfold live before your very eyes. Sometimes you can just feel the electricity when you’re part of a big, engaged crowd of wildly cheering fans.
I have written before about being in the crowd when Marvelous Marvin Hagler TKO’d Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns to retain his World Middleweight Title. During the fight, it was so loud, I could feel myself roaring with the rest of the crowd, but I couldn’t hear my voice. It was the most electrifying live event I have ever experienced. It was tremendously exciting.
I have been to many live events in the decades since then, and there is always hope that I’ll have an experience like the Hagler-Hearns fight. I’ve been lucky enough to attend Major League Baseball and NBA playoff games, NFL games, NHL games, NASCAR races, and NCAA men’s and women’s basketball. I’ve seen musical artists like The Who, Chicago, The Moody Blues, Elton John, Boston, BB King, and Foo Fighters perform live. I’ve been fortunate enough to see some fantastic shows and games and athletes and performers.
Sometimes, when attending live events, if you’re lucky, you feel that electrical current pulsating throughout your body and you feel a connection with everyone else in the venue. It feels great.
However . . .
As I have aged, I feel that electric connection less and less. And, sometimes, I wonder if the hassle of everything is worth the effort. Whether it is acquiring and paying for tickets, or getting to wherever the venue is, or booking a hotel room, or finding someone to take care of the house and the cats, there’s a lot of stuff that needs doing when traveling to an event. Perhaps complaining about all of this is, in fact, a sign of old age.
I know the previous paragraphs portray me as crabby, fun-hating, stick-in-the-mud, old guy. Does that bother me? Nah. Oh, maybe sometimes, when mulling over a particular time or event, I might wish I could have enjoyed it more, instead of bogging myself down in minor annoyances. But, at this point in my life, I don’t want to be a faker anymore. I don’t want to pretend to like something. I don’t want to pretend to be something I’m not.
Most of the time, I don’t mind being who I really am. I’ve found that I am becoming more accepting of the person I’ve turned out to be. I acknowledge my many faults, and I still care about improving upon them. I have all kinds of room for self-improvement. I want to make those improvements for myself and for those around me.
But, you know what? The math says I am closer to the end of my time here on this Earth than the beginning. I hope to have many wonderful, fulfilling, exciting years ahead of me. I just do not want to spend them wishing I was someone else.
Therefore, if I am indeed becoming that crabby, grouchy cliché of an old person who hates everything the young people like, then, so be it.
And, by the way, to the young folks out there, I want to say one more thing, “Hey you kids - get off my lawn!” Okay, I’m only kidding (mostly). Actually, what I really want to say is: “Hey you kids - take the time to appreciate and enjoy your youth. It’ll be gone before you know it.”
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Do you have something to say about A Crabby Old Man? Well, then . . .
I ain't dead yet is where I want to continue to be as long as possible. There are things I want to do and places I still want to go.
Me, too. I hope to get back to the Keys one day. You have my support. Kate