I’ll watch an occasional game or two, but the NBA will occupy less of my time and investment. We can benefit from occasionally slipping into the world of fantasy, but a steady diet of it disrupts the soul.
The NBA has restarted the 2019-20 season. And as much as I have been a longtime NBA fan (Portland Trail Blazers, specifically), I’m lukewarm at best about the resumed NBA season. The reason?
Recent global events and the assault upon humanity have caused me (like many others) to reevaluate priorities and focus life in new directions.
It’s clear that something is wrong, and I can confirm that conclusion through the application of my specialty, numerology. The clue is in the number 25. Years ago, I dubbed it ‘the John Belushi number,’ to signify that it was associated with many people in the entertainment industry. The number is often related to an adverse social attitude, overindulgence, rebellion, loss of control, delusion, and escapist behaviors.
Ironically, some of the most honored entertainers have the most troubled, disturbed, and sometimes pathological predilections. ‘Hollywood’ also has a 25. And put in a social context, the number 25 is often associated with unrest, fantasy, delusion, make-believe, public relations, propaganda, misinformation, and escapism.
The words sport, entertainment, and Coronavirus also have the number 25 included. What might that all mean?
If you look at the numbers of sport, they reveal at its best the uniqueness of the individual and the quest for perfection. Other contributions include diversity, camaraderie, fair play, effort, and emotional investment. But those attributes stand alongside sport as a business.
These days, games are presented with blaring sound systems with a sideshow of expensive concessions, paraphernalia, and parking. Players promoted as demigods earn more for a single night’s entertainment than most fans make in a year, and media-typed games feature taunting, peacocking, posturing, and pretense in what has become a sensationalized form of escapism.
Sporting events seem designed for those with attention deficits. Worse yet, sports distract attention from troubling issues of the day.
During the months away from the NBA, I’ve explored new facets of life, and with rich and rewarding consequences. Time away from the game allowed me to appreciate other endeavors that have far more significant meaning in life.
Yes, I’ll still watch an occasional game or two. But the NBA will occupy less of my time. I’ve concluded that we can benefit from occasionally slipping into the world of fantasy, but a steady diet of it disrupts the soul.
Are there others out there who have had similar reactions–a pause that refreshes?
