I'm traveling alone for work this week, which gives me a lot of time to consider things. It's amazing how many similar, small interactions you have on the road. The workers at various counters, the people in your row, or in line with you. A seemingly endless series of tiny conversations can really make your break your travel day.
I tend to wear my Sox hat when I travel, as it engenders less ill will than a Patriots hat. As it happens, I have been in two very sports happy places, so my hat is something of an open invitation to talk. There's a fun sort of dance that happens when a conversation starts to tip toe towards team talk. The stranger and I try to gauge where each other stands, and how much interest we have in each others' teams.
The most satisfying of these conversations are always the ones where, though we may root for different colors, we are aware of some of the history and current status of sports in our respective cities. The older folks are usually the best ones to talk to. They have some great stories, and once they see that you don't just blindly support your own town, they'll open right up.
It may be folly, but I believe you can really understand the personality of a city, and even a region, by learning how the fans talk about their teams. I know there are major parts of the population of any area that could give a crap what happens in stadiums and arenas. And yet, the ones who do are usually spread very nicely through the various social strata that divide us in other ways.
Sports can be a kind of inverted third rail when dealing with strangers. Where politics and religion are far too highly charged, sports can be a nice, neutral entry point for building a relationship. I'm grateful to have it, and I expect to miss it once the Red Sox finish this year.
Happy October, all!
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