The Cruel Game

 
Photo credits

The World Cup 2010 has certainly dished out serving after serving of delicious meals of football, both for the avid football fans as well as for those once-in-a blue-moon watchers.  While some matches have ended in clinical expected results, some have been shocking and depressing to say the least.  Shed tears, hands on heads and finger-pointing have been by-products of this wonderful game we call football.

And while most of the time enjoyable, because, really…at the end of it, it’s only a game…we simply MUST admit it’s a darn cruel game.  That’s what my hubby said as I expressed the unfairness of it all, as Uruguay marched away with victorious chants, beating Ghana in the quarter-finals on penalty shootouts. 

All this after Ghana ALMOST scored in the added time of extra time.  All this after Ghana was awarded a penalty in the final few seconds of extra time, and unluckily failed to convert.  Oh, my heart truly goes out to Asamoah Gyan…imagine how he must have felt.

But then that is just an example of what the game of football brings to us, is it not?

Excitement.

Hope.

Then heartache….for some.

And joyful celebrations for the rest.

Kind of like what life does to us sometimes, doesn’t it?

There are times when we give our all, our 300%, expecting to receive a matching reward, if not something that would exceed our expectations.  But life CAN be cruel, just like football CAN be cruel.  And we sometimes do not get what we deserve, instead we are shortchanged and someone ELSE who does not deserve it, gets everything we deserve.

Just when we think we are about to grasp and own that final victorious second, it is painfully snatched away from us.

And that’s what life’s like….sometimes. 

Is life imitating art?  Or is it the other way round?

…something to think about while getting ready for the final 4 matches of the World Cup, huh?