Hope, Springs, Eternal, Part 2

Siince "hope" is the word of the year, and since baseball is back for 2009, I thought it is only appropriate to appropriate (consider the witty word play) the two into one post today...

Last year I predicted better things for the Nationals. Sadly, though some of my "predictions" were right on, others, were way way off.
"Healthy Nick Johnson" is one of those lines like... "why did the chicken" now... meant to be a joke, but its going to be painful.
This year we have Adam Dunn, who I expect less from than he's delivered in the past, which is less homeruns, strikeouts, lower on base percentage and disappointment. Perhaps compared to the anticipation of getting Mark Texeira anybody else was going to be a let down.
Catching is still an issue, forget what I said last year...
The outfield only looks good when you compare it to the infield. It is only adequate.
Sadly the pitching last year was slightly adequate and the offense went south. This year, I expect the offense to improve, the pitching to disappear. What does that mean? I expect we'll win the division! Hope springs eternal, remember!?

On a very important note, we're heading to Florida this March, and we'll get to see some of the young talent at a spring training games between the Nats and the Orioles. Should be fun.

Hope, Springs, Eternal.

I'm watching the hype leading up to Barack Obama's inauguration as I type this. The common person on the street can not help but feel hope. Things can't get worse. "This guy can't do worse than the last guy did". "He has a huge job ahead of him, but he can do it." "History in the Making" the CNN screen says. This is a hopeful statement in itself. Do they know that things will be better under Obama? No. Does everyone want it to be better though? Of course. "It's going to be overwhelming." Oprah Winfrey has already called him America's best President... that was before the inauguration even!

The tremendous timing of this, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day can't be overlooked. They reality of the animosity, the alienation, the sadness, the hope, the joy that lives in the hearts of many Americans, of all colours, can not be overlooked. In about 25 minutes, I'm going to play the inauguration for a group of 11-14 year olds, some of whom won't care. Some who will be curious. Some will be overwhelmed by the political speak, some by the celebrity. Some will not understand that this is about hope, about dreams, about history and the future.

There are a few times in your life that you have to remember. Many recall the assassination of JFK. Many more recall the horror of space shuttle tragedies or September 11th. Not too many have the hype ahead of time that this event has. How many million showed up in Washington this day? Why? Can the man live up to the hype? Not likely.

However, the immensity of our times, of the heart of the people around us is reflected in the human response, even worship, at this time. People need a saviour, a leader. Many facebook postings today called Mr. Obama something along the lines of "President of the World". We all need hope. Sometimes the hype shows our desperation.

Hope is the word of the year, as far as I can tell. Maybe the word of our lives?