The Writing Machine

Stories by Christian Cloud Abraham

Go Suns Go!

Many of my artistic and so-called sophisticated friends have rolled their eyes at me and turned up their noses at my passion for basketball. But let me tell you, it was Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson and the 1993 Phoenix Suns’ trip to the NBA finals against the Chicago Bulls that help break through the deep depression I suffered after I left the cult, The Way; lost all my friends from The Way; lost my girlfriend; lost my sense of humor; and struggled everyday with excruciating psychological pain that made me want to go Kevorkian on myself. All the screaming and yelling and ups and downs of the that playoff run and trip to the finals gave me the ability to get my emotions to swing again instead of just stay in the a dark Poe-inspired netherworld. The Suns wins gave me something to celebrate and the upcoming games gave me something to look forward to… or in other words, brought back much needed emotions called hope and anticipation. Silly as this may sound, it kicked so many dormant feelings back into gear that I truly believe the Phoenix Suns changed my life. Even the agony of watching John Paxton’s 3-point shot rip through the net to end the Suns run in game six of the finals, as agonizing as it was to watch, even that emotion felt good. It was intense and raw and bundled in with the entire playoff run, made for an experience that has kept me hooked on basketball ever since. So as the playoffs get underway, you can roll your eyes and turn up your nose all you want, but it won’t stop me from going crazy in my living room screaming at the TV over a bunch of guys trying to put an orange ball in a hoop. Go Suns Go! I’m ready for another wild ride.

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© 2007 Christian Cloud Abraham

Posted on April 25, 2007 in
Emotion: Elation, Type: Creative Nonfiction