Standing with Giants, Conquering Fear, and Remembering What's Important

[chronarchy]

Getting through Walking With Fire reviews seems to be a recurring problem :) I'll manage, I promise. Only two left to go.

I went to the 'Shoe today. I haven't been in there in a long time, but I wanted to see it today. I've never been the only person there, and looking at the North and South endzones was eerie and . . . peaceful? Perhaps that's

Comments

[_boy_]

The difference between that stadium when it's full and when it's empty is shocking. When it's full, you feel the amazing weight (the egregore, if I were trying to sound smart here) of tradition. When it's empty, you hear the whispers of those same traditions.

I'd go with a Durkheimian "collective effervescence" to describe the "amazing weight" more than an egregore - I didn't think that egregores were a) spontaneously created, or b) dependent on ritual setting (which a stadium would be).

I agree, though, that even an empty 'Shoe is ritually evocative, semi-numinous and all.

[chronarchy]

Ah, JMG's book. I have a signed copy of that lying around somewhere. I should take better care of such things :)

[chronarchy]

I could see that, yes. Besides, "collective effervescense" is just that much cooler a word, honestly.

[perlgirlju]

Weren't these boots some $200 with a spiffy warrantee of some sort?

[chronarchy]

About that, but the warranty (which ran out about 2 months ago) didn't cover "tears in the outer boot" because it was just a warranty on the Gore-Tex.

Basically, if they leaked in the two years I owned them, I could have taken them back. But they didn't leak, they split wide open. And actually, they still keep out a decent amount of wetness (my feet have yet to get wet in this weather), but right now it's the cold that's causing me issues. It just blows in over the sole and out over the toe :)

[prophet_maid]

That's a beautiful stadium. While I'm by no means an athlete, I've had a similar experience. The moment I stepped onto the field here my freshman year, I knew I wanted to stay. The lights, the magnitude, the silent crowd; it was one of the most energizing moments in my life, and easily the most intimidating.

[chronarchy]

I've never been to the stadium there. But I can easily see how it could do that. :) Stadia have a tendency to bring out a feeling like that. If they didn't, no one would bother with them.

[qorinda]

My kitties have a toy like that. I bought it several months ago, and it is still one of their favorites. :)

[chronarchy]

Infin goes through them in about 4 days. If they manage to survive that long, I'm impressed. She rips them apart and all that's left are. . . tentacles.

[ceolnamara]

I dunno why I bothered looking at one of your boot pics, I know what they look like ;-)

The cats = Precious.

And I've never been quite comfortable with that sort of egregore, and I know why :-)

Good luck with your ploys.

[chronarchy]

Thankee :)