RickJ wrote:
Such a feel good story, thanks for sharing it.
I am Melbourne born and bred but I lived and worked in Boston for 4 years between 1986 and 1990, pre Internet. I had a wonderful life there with my very young family and could have easily stayed permanently and had opportunities to do so. But there is something about being connected to and in touch with ones roots that is very powerful, and not just about family. I remember the 1987 grand final vividly, unbelievably broadcast into Boston live on ESPN at some god forsaken hour, precious for me. My (then) wife hated football which was fine, so I sat there on my own in my Carlton jumper with 6 giant cans of Fosters and yelled and cheered as loudly as I could. At the end of the game I was ecstatic jumping around the lounge room on my own with my awakened wife looking at me as though I was crazy. Then the phone rang. It was a Hawthorn supporting mate from Oz calling to congratulate me on a great game. I hadn't spoken to him for 2 years. International phone calls in those days were incredibly expensive and not something you did except in exceptional circumstances. He wasn't to know that I watched the whole game live. I was in tears. It was a great gesture. The pull of home, of our great country, of shared experiences, of the memories of childhood which football engenders, of common bonds, is very powerful.
I was never really homesick living in the USA because I loved my job, my lifestyle, and the people. I loved the Redsox and the Larry Bird led Celtics. But every now and again living overseas you get a reminder that you are an outsider, and your heart lives elsewhere.
The Foreign Legion on TC as you call them BS adds immeasurably to the joy of reading this site. You have to be mad to do what you do. I think I understand.
Happy holidays to you all.
Thanks for the nice post. I posted elsewhere about my dad living in Kiribati from 1938-68. You talk about pre-internet! He was the one who started this whole thing with Carlton and me.
By the way, I think Taff came up with the name one night on the live game thread.