June 16, 2014

GOKINGSGO

 

The Los Angeles Kings have won the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons. This is a line that’s been pumped into my brain stem for the past two days, along with a dozen other ‘wonderfuls’ about all of the records the Kings have broken in the NHL.

 

 

Hearing all of this got me thinking. As I watched part of the Kings rally on TV live from the Staples Center, and watched as each player was heralded for their strength, courage, and fighting power, I did what any human would do, and started trying to imagine what it would be like to be in their position. I tried to imagine having played a full 7 games in all three series of the playoffs, traveling all over the country, giving each and every single game their utmost all, despite all the mounting pressure to win.

 

Of course, I started crying. Crying is my namesake.

 

But more than that, I started picking up on this very powerful vibe from the Kings, like a never give up kind of vibe. Like a put your everything into it kind of vibe. Like a make them proud of you kind of vibe. I started wondering what it would be like to work so hard at something, to literally put your heart and soul into something for so long, and get this magnificent, crowd-humming praise for it. To be under the spotlight, with a thousand eyes watching you, wondering how you did it, with a zillion and one questions, people hailing you for your courage to go full throttle, to put the pedal to the floor no matter how tired you are, and to never ease up. All those people looking up to you for something you fought for. What an unbelievable feeling!

 

Something else struck a chord with me. They spoke about how this playoff season was a story. This idea of story is so powerful because every day we write our own stories with the way we live, how we treat people, and how we exist in the world. Today I picked up some trash I saw on the ground and threw it out. A guy nearby thanked me for it. This is part of my story. Today I ate two corn dogs for breakfast and leftover Chinese for lunch. This is part of my story. Every day I’m etching in a little of this and a little of that. It made me think about how my entire life could be like this playoff series…wins, losses, then CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve WON! (Cue hockey goal sound).

 

All of it makes me want to  go out and work really hard at something. It makes me want to work for my own version of the Stanley Cup. When I’m too tired to write, I’ll think of that double overtime. When I feel like my goal is blocked and I’m out of plays, I’ll aim for the  top of the net when the goalie’s on the ground. I’ll remember that people are counting on me, that I was born to make the world a better (or at least more interesting) place through writing, that the universe is pounding on that glass cheering, screaming at me to rise to the occasion, to go get that cup.

 

And what an amazing feeling to have such a loyal and loving community of fans, like a giant LA Kings family, fostering all of that community in other people by saying we are all kings because they know that everyone has a part in this story, not just the players themselves. They make us feel like we belong to something bigger than ourselves, and it’s never more apparent than when that puck crosses the line and all of time stands still so this one epic moment of happiness can ripple across stadiums, bars, and apartment living rooms.

 

I wish I could bottle up that joy and open it whenever there’s a situation in the world that needs it. I’d call it crowd joy. And it’d be potent as fuck.

 

(Also, congratulations Lauren Tharp! You won the book giveaway!)

Monique Muro

Monique is an exceedingly happy human from LA. She runs the blog A Novel Quest, and writes. A lot.

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