Anatomy of a Rivalry

Rivalries, particularly in sports, are typically a hotly contested, deeply passionate and long standing conflict between two or more teams (and often, their fans). Baseball has its rivalries in the Yankees and Red Sox and the Giants and Dodgers. While in basketball we have the Lakers and the Celtics. But what fuels a rivalry? Are we just born with a competitive fire or is it accumulated through our experiences and those around us?

I grew up watching the Lakers and sadly, the Dodgers. I can vividly recall sitting in the den at my grandparent's house in Pasadena while the Lakers played and Chick Hearn announced the games. To say that I was born a Lakers fan would not be far from the truth. However, being raised by a single mom, who is far from the avid sports enthusiast, I developed a competitive nature on my own. I always want to win, no matter what my role is in the sport I'm playing or the sport I'm watching. Though it is perhaps unreasonable to expect your team to win each year, how can we as sports fans think any other way? How can we not demand excellence? I simply despise losing and I sometimes wonder how highly paid athletes seem to accept and tolerate mediocrity. When someone beats me, I challenge myself to take my effort up to the next level and if I'm going to lose, they are going to work for it.

Perhaps there are more eloquent ways to describe it, but without a great deal of sugarcoating, I simply dislike certain teams. That's what a rivalry is all about, passion. So to the Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Chargers, Los Angels Dodgers, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Broncos I don't like you, never have and never will. Rivalries never die!

Wedding Season

Over the weekend, I attended what I anticipate, as being the first of four weddings this year. A beautifully set wedding in sunny Huntington Beach, at a temperature most conducive to an enjoyable ceremony. While I watched the happy couple move forward to the next stage of their lives, I couldn't help but reflect on my own life and the goals I had once set.

Many years ago, I had envisioned myself being married at twenty-seven and looked forward to the prospect of children. For some reason, twenty-seven seemed like a reasonable age to get married. Not too young and not too old, it appeared to be the perfect time. However as a child, I had no way of understanding the self inflicted barriers I would place upon myself. I spent the early part of my twenties in a long relationship and my friends always believed that I would be the first of our group to be married. Certainly, I would be the last person to refute those claims. But as my relationship began to fall apart, I sought to refocus my life on education. I planned to ensure that when I did find the right person, I would have a future to look forward to.

For the first time in my life, I find myself as the best man at my best friend's wedding. This is an exciting and challenging new role for me and I am honored to have been chosen for the role. It is my hope that this experience is a memorable one and that I too, can be fortunate enough to follow down that same path. And although I'm not the first in our group of friends to tie the knot, I couldn't be happier for my friend.

Last night I watched a movie entitled, The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz for probably the fourth or fifth time. Though it's fairly predictable I love the film for two reasons. First, at least half of the movie is set in a small English town (after visiting England, I have a soft spot for the country). Second, there is a great scene in the movie where Cameron Diaz visits Jude Law's home, discovers he's a single dad and meets his two daughters. For anyone who has yet seen, I will say that these are perhaps the cutest little girls ever. Having always wanted at least one daughter, this movie coupled with a strong dose of wedding season, has reignited my passion to find that special someone and build towards taking my own next step.

A Boy and His Bike

These days it seems like everyone is trying to "go green" in some aspect of their life. From organic food, to recycling there are a variety of ways in which one can achieve this. However, one of the more exciting ways I have found to add more "green" to my life is through bicycling. Although it was not my initial intention to be green when I first purchased my Trek mountain bike, the desire to exercise was. I chose the Trek brand because of its well known name in the cycling world and my desire to have something a bit sturdier than my childhood Huffy. Though it had been many years since I had been on the saddle of a bicycle, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it all came back. With a little time and perseverance, anything is possible.

To date, my bike has been nothing short of exceptional, though I have not consistently taken it off road to fill its true potential. For a mountain bike it has performed remarkably well on the streets where I spend most of my riding time. Together we've journeyed through Peter's Canyon, Weir Canyon, Newport Beach, Balboa Island and our most recent trip to Laguna Beach. On a bike I feel as though I am able to experience so much more of the nature and beautiful scenery that Orange County has to offer. Something I certainly never fully appreciated before my second time owning a bicycle. Throw in the fact that I always ride with a good friend or two and it makes the experience all the more worthwhile. I know that I won't always have the freedom to take a bike ride on a Monday during the day, but there's something rather fantastic about it and I intend to enjoy every opportunity.

Life As I See It (Getting Older)

As we approach the juncture in our lives known as the late twenties (I recently turned twenty-seven, so it depends on who you ask) the reality that we are all growing up is starting to really sink in. Gone are the days of recess, lunch breaks and more recess with evenings and summers off. Taking its place: work, bachelors degrees, graduate degrees, marriage, children and home ownership, to name a few. Questions such as, "will I have enough money for lunch today and the ice cream man after school," have been replaced by, "can I afford to buy this new home, or should we relocate?" All signs point to something that seemed so far away, growing up.

Never before has getting older been more apparent in my life than in 2010. This year, I am fortunate enough to know at least six different couples getting married, (most of them are my age) numerous couples having their first or even second child, several couples in serious relationships and a few friends getting into home ownership in the near future. Slowly, all of this change and new responsibility is beginning to creep into my own life. Although I have stayed away from the dating scene over the past few years, I find myself looking to dive in and catch up to the rest of the crowd. Yet there are so many factors to consider at this age. When we were kids, there weren't many thoughts that we went through when picking a date. Now when I look at a woman, I immediately check her ring finger, something that I never would have thought twice about just ten years ago. And it extends even further than just being married, I have to consider: "do we have similar political/religious beliefs, do we enjoy similar activities, will she be a good mother to my future children, what is her family like," and so many others.

At times, these thoughts catch me completely off guard. Has life really gotten to this point? Am I really growing up? But there's no sense in fighting the process of getting older. In fact it's not as bad as I used to imagine it to be. I could even get used to this whole "growing up" thing.