Bledisloe Cup

I had the opportunity to go to the Bledisloe Cup this week with some friends 3 of us were going for the Wallabies (Aust) and 2 of us were going for the All Blacks (NZ). On the way into the game in the car the rules were established, we all nailed our colours to the mast, the competetiveness in the car was so thick you would have had to chip away at it with an ice pick to have broken it down at all.

Then the National Anthems, all 5 of us located ourselves in the middle of our respective teams, then the Haka and waltzing Matilda were chanted along with, there was high fives and knowing looks with the people around us as they located what side of the fence they were on, its amazing how united people come when they are on the same team, or cheering for the same colours.

The whole night actually was not about what we disagreed with people on it was about focusing on the people that we had common ground and unity with. One guy in particular was sitting 4 rows back and 12 seats over and we were getting eye contact all night and celebrating together as our team went on to win, we didn't actually speak a word, but I found myself when we scored searching for a nod of agreement and a smile so we could celebrate together.

Isn't it funny that we can unite around such things as a football game so easily even when there are clear opponents in sight no one seems to focus on the opposition or the negative aspect of them being right there, their point of view and their unhappiness with the refs calls, we can see past that and just focus on what we have in common, even in loss there seems to be a genuine, she'll be right mate kind of attitude.

In the car on the way home there were no sides, there was no trash talk, there was a return to the common ground of our love for the game, enjoyment of the night and what we all took out of the game.

What unites you with the people around you, its very easy to focus on the things that bring distance but if you build on the common ground and have enough grace to look past the differences, life is a whole lot more fruitful.

That's what I reckon!!
Daz

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