I have been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan since I can remember.
Since forever.
And by fan...I mean Black and Gold bleeding, middle finger waving, smack talk defending, 6 Lombardi boasting, depth chart knowing, Rooney family loving, Wiz Khalifa singing, City of Champions bragging, Iron City drinking, Terrible Towel waving, Steeler Nation representing, in your face Die Hard fan.
I rock the Black and Gold.
I am a member of the Steel City Mafia.
I scream, yell, cheer and swear at my TV when the Steelers play.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is by legendary MLB Mr. Jack Lambert. Simply put.....
"Quarterbacks should wear dresses."
I smashed peanut butter cups into my carpet when Neil O'Donnell threw not one but two interceptions to Larry Brown in Super Bowl XXX.
My heart would pound every time I witnessed Jerome Bettis plow through some of the toughest defenders in the league. Now it pounds when I watch Le'Veon. The Bus Jr.
I remained a fan during the rocky years of the 80's. I had a Bubby Brister T-shirt. If that doesn't prove what a die hard fan I am....nothing will.
The Noll Era. The Cowher Era. And now...the Tomlin Era.
I could go on...but I will stop here.
Every single year I swore this would be the year I'd finally attend my first Steelers game.
However, what they fail to teach you in school is that once you are no longer IN school, time switches gears. Upon graduating school, time is no longer a snail, slowly sliding it's way through each and every single day of each and every month of each and every school year. Time is no longer an eternity of homework, teachers, tests, lukewarm cafeteria food, the latest teen crazes, and part time after school grunt jobs. Time has become a jack rabbit.
Blink and five years of your life has already passed you by. Blink again and you find yourself saying goodbye to the youthful, carefree spring and early summertime of your life. You are now basking in the late summer sun. Blink once more and a subtle wave of cool, crisp air settles into your warm sunny day. You become acutely aware that autumn is knocking on the door of your life. You try to stop blinking but can't because once you stop blinking, it is over.
Where did the time go? Where did my life go?
I wish I knew the answer.
We are all guilty of saying "someday" or "maybe one day" or "I would like to but....." As a society, we have become so gifted in the art of excuses.
"The problem is, you think you have time." - Budda
As I have gotten older, I have become astutely aware that the time that was once on my side, is slowly slipping away. With each classmate or friend my age or younger that has passed away, I have grown even more aware of my own mortality. Some of us are not going to make it to the winter of our life. And that is just the way life is. Life is not fair. I am astutely aware of that as well.
That is why the things I want most, I want now. Yes, some of it I cannot buy, and the things I can buy are definitely not always a possibility on my income. I will probably never get to travel the world. I know that. It's alright. It's okay to have dreams though, big and small, because you never know what unforeseen opportunity may be right around the corner. I will get/do the things that matter the most to me. I always do. And I realize I cannot speed up the process of things that can only come naturally, but I can go to a Steelers game right? What am I waiting for?
Let's do this already!
I knew I didn't need top of the food chain seats. I was going to be content and happy no matter where I was in that stadium. I was there for the atmosphere. I was there for the experience. I was there for my fellow fans. I was there for my team. I could do all of that from the cheap seats. And honestly, there really is no bad seat in the house. You may not be able to see the sweat rolling off Troy's face from my seats, but man could you see his moves on the field.
Of course Becky B was coming along with me on this adventure. I wouldn't have it any other way. She knows even more about football than me, which says a lot because I know a hell of a lot about football. I am constantly googling football related information and articles. Google is awesome. I must say. So is Becky. We travel well together and appreciate and understand each others lives and dreams. She is like me. Always game for something new and fun and spontaneous.
So I sent her a text and popped the big question. "Would you come to my first Steelers game with me?"
She said YES!!!!
Woohoo. It was in motion. I had my #1 partner in crime, now I needed to pick a game. It had to be a Cleveland or Baltimore game which pretty much meant, it had to be a Cleveland game because the Ravens are the old Cleveland Browns. I also thought going to a home opener would be pretty fun and exciting to experience. A few people I know make it a point to attend the home openers of their favorite teams. It must be a good experience if they do it year after year. I would really like to experience what that must be like too. So, I pull up the 2014 Steelers schedule. Cleveland @ Heinz Field is the home opener on September 7th.
The planets have aligned. This is my game!
I officially put in my request at work to take two vacation days. The paper asks the reason for my time off. I write, " I am going to a Pittsburgh Steelers Game!!!!!!!" (Yes...I used that many exclamation points.) I stare at my request for a few moments before turning it in. This is for really real now. It is written on actual paper. This is happening. I make sure to mark my desk calendar too. (Perhaps I used crayons to draw Steelers stuff for my days off. I like crayons. They are fun.)
Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow (Steelers Nation Remix)
Black and Yellow Black and Yellow Black and Yellow Black and Yellow
As the summer days go by, my excitement builds. I do not want to rush summer by any means, but I cannot wait for my mini vacation to Pittsburgh. Then something even more magical happens. Becky texts me and asks if I would like to make it an official football weekend and go to the Penn State football game the Saturday before the Steelers game.
I scream out loud at work when I read her text. I scare people. I almost pass out. I go stupid and can't talk. Are you freakin kidding me??? Hell yes I would love to go to a Penn State game. It takes all my strength not to pass out from football euphoria. Two of my hugest dreams are going to come true in one single weekend! Can I even handle all this elation....this football intoxication? I guess I will find out.
Let Football Weekend Commence!!
Chrissy
The Free Spirit Bucket List Football Weekend Series
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part I: Prelude
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part II: The Morning of the Big Day
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part III: You Are Now In Steelers
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part IV: 3 Rivers Run Through It
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part V: The Mothership
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part VI: May The Lombardi Be With You
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part VII: Under The Bleachers
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part VIII: Pre-Gaming It
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part IX: Game Time
#1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part X: Game Over
