Where Were You...?

I was at home recovering from days of little to no sleep after that epic 2004 American League Championship Series. I remember purchasing a 12 pack of Sam Adams Oktoberfest and taking out my Red Sox baseball cards out of dusty shoe boxes, as a kind of exorcism ploy, and strategically positioning them around the living room. My youngest wasn’t born yet; he was probably stirring in my wife’s belly wondering what the hell was going on. Alex was 9 months, sitting on a swing, bewildered by my crazed actions, which included in no particular order, praying on my knees, sobbin' at random times, stomping on the floor and sprinting. When the final out was recorded, I was delirious. Crying, laughing, spilling beer and going out of my mind, as my favorite team on Earth had done the impossible. They were World Champions.

I celebrated at home with my wife and kids; I celebrated with my brother, parents and friends via multiple cell phones and communication contraptions. I also celebrated with the millions out in the streets of Boston, at the bars and at their own homes, because we all felt the same emotion. Joy. Boundless and effervescent. Unbridled excitement, as we stood there shaking our heads and telling ourselves over and over, did this just really happen...who's fucking with me?. I drank beer and shed tears. I hugged my wife and kids and jumped up and down. The sentiment was the same across the phone lines, down in Florida and up in New Hampshire. The boyhood dream had come true...at last. How many times did I replay that scene over and over in my head, as the final out was recorded? We came back from the depths of hell and clawed our way out all the way to redemption. Redemption in the eyes of all that are faithful, whose parents and grandparents displayed the same love for the Olde Towne Team. Unforgettable. I thank God that I was alive, to see the ALCS play out in its entirety. Every pitch, every inning, all the way into the Series finale.

The moment may never be duplicated, given how they got there, but it will certainly be relived from generation to generation as the question is posed; where were you when the Red Sox won the championship in 2004? Where were you when the hearts of millions across the globe beat out of pure joy and excitement, for a simple backyard game of stick and ball? For the love of the game and all that is wonderful in life. Family, friends, beer and baseball...