Here at Big Blue View we obsess, and argue, over every nuance of life with the New York Giants? Who's to blame for the last-minute losses? How long before that old guy isn't their coach any longer? Why does the defense stink? Can't anybody not named Odell Beckham Jr. play this game?
Truth is -- and it's a tricky thing to say because I make my living from all this arguing -- we attach too much significance, we get too worked up over these arguments that have nothing to do with our lives. Events that we have no control over. That don't impact the quality of our existence on the planet.
Then, along come events that remind us that there are things -- many things -- more important, and more worth getting emotional about, than whether or not your favorite team wins a game. I have had such events recently in my own life, so I'm sensitive to the subject matter. This, though, is not about me and what is going on in my own life.
When the San Bernardino mass shootings occurred recently, we learned that Giants' safety Nat Berhe had been personally impacted as his cousin, Isaac Amanios, had been among the victims. Berhe first tweeted about the news. Now, he has written an excellent, thoughtful piece for The Players' Tribune.
Here is a very small snippet of Berhe's piece:
The person I am today can largely be credited to my upbringing in San Bernardino, and the lessons I've learned on Waterman Avenue. Now my city is all over the news, and it's spoken of only as a piece of a bigger narrative. Right now, to a lot of people, San Bernardino represents a news story, not a hometown. To most, it's just a trending topic. But we're so much more than that. Isaac is so much more than that. My cousin was not just a statistic. He was not a pawn in a political debate. He was a loving person. He was a family man. He was a human being.
I urge you all to go and read the full story. And to remember while you are obsessing about whatever you believe is wrong with the Giants and whatever the solutions are, that there are a whole host of more important things you could be spending your energy on. Treasure the good things, including when your Giants make you proud. When they don't, remember that nothing happened to you. Berhe's experience, and his words, remind us of that.