There are phrases that articulate a sentiment of futility. Probably
the most common is “when hell freezes over”, meaning “that will never happen”.
There are other, perhaps more personal sentiments such as
“when I win the lottery” or “when my kids leave home”. People are creative at
expressing frustration!
Also, we often use
cultural cliché to get that same sentiment across. I remember during the
nineteen seventies hearing “When the Beatles get back together!”
All of these phrases
express a sense of futility, hopelessness.
All of my life (and
I am sixty-one) I have heard the cliché “when the Cubs win the world series”.
That phrase expressed, in somewhat humorous form, the futile nature of their
immediate concern combined with their frustration over their favorite baseball
team’s poor fortunes, year after year, decade after decade.
Well, I suppose not every cliché can live
forever.
Last night, or should I say very early this morning, the Cubs
defeated the Cleveland Indians to win the 2016 World Series.
Congratulations Cubs!
But then, that victory also brought the death of a well-used,
descriptive cliché by which frustration, futility could be communicated. We
have lost a wonderful descriptor in the English language.
I suppose it is too early and a bit insensitive to begin
using the cliché “When the Indians win the World Series”.
Perhaps we will have to temporarily go back to the “hell
freezing” cliché to express ourselves. But fear not, humans are really good at noticing
and articulating the negative. We will have a new cliché soon.
In the moment though, again I congratulate the Cubs for their
victory.
Much more importantly, I congratulate their fans for a
display of loyalty that is superbly admirable! Your faithfulness speaks to the
human quality of expecting something wonderful even in the face of futility.
May we all learn that lesson from you and apply it to expecting something good
and wonderful from ourselves, our fellow man, and our futures!
