Who Won the War!

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The 27-Time World Champion Yankees put a sound whooping on the Blue Jays yesterday and they finished just in time too. I had just put the water on for pasta and the chicken and veal parm was all set. The women's World Cup soccer game was also still nil-to-nil.

"USA! USA! USA!" Sam chanted.

"Who cares," I answered.

"Are you crazy?" Sam asked. "What country do you live in? How can you not root for the USA?"

"I'm rooting for them," I said. "But it's soccer. If they lose it doesn't mean Japan is better and if they win it doesn't mean the USA is better. They have a ball out there. You don't settle anything by kicking a ball."

The game was actually mildly entertaining as soccer matches go. You know the story. The USA coughed up the lead twice and then lost on penalty kicks.

What was really neat to me was seeing both sides of the coin. The agony on the faces of the USA girls and the jubilation on the faces of the girls from Japan. Their country had been ripped apart earlier in the year, so, good for them.

Still, it's a ball and grass and a net. Doesn't help with that earthquake or tsunami now, does it?

Distractions from tragic events are simply that: distractions. Life didn't get infinitely better for Japan's citizens yesterday.

Sam watched the Japanese team celebrate. In true American fashion he shouted back at the screen.

"Who won the war?" he asked.

I laughed.

I just can't figure out why my boys are such wise-asses.

I'm going to have to have a talk with Kathy about watching what she says around them.

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