Monday, December 26, 2005

And tonight, he walked alone....

(WARNING: FOOTBALL RANTS)
"When you walk through a storm
Hold your chin up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of a storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet, silver song of a lark.
Walk on, through the wind,
Walk on, through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone."

Oh how cruel these words must sound to Michael Owen right now...! Today he stood in front of the fans at his old club and was taunted and abused- all his past heroics for Liverpool forgotten. One of the highest scorers for Liverpool ever ; a man who had not so long ago carried Liverpool's expectations on his shoulders stood alienated in a stadium where before he had counted only friends. His close friends Carragher and Gerrard were powerless to help him, neither with the game nor with the fans.... Liverpool was flawless and efficient and Newcastle was floundering and inept as Owen stood, a mere spectator in the game, hardly getting a touch of the ball...

How fickle and cruel we humans are! Owen made a mistake once- he left the club that nurtured him for a bigger name and for a shot at the Champions League Trophy and he will never be allowed to forget it. His once-fans booed as they heard his name announced where they were used to cheering loudly and taunted him with his absence at a great Liverpool moment ('Where were you at Istanbul?' cried those bitter fans) which no one will regret more than he does....A cruel hand has Fate dealt him, denying him a decent chance at Real Madrid (the only REAL villains I can yet see...) despite his good performances and a Liverpool victory in the Champions League in the very year he leaves.. A generous man, and still a liverpudlian at heart, Owen does not grudge his old mates the success but tonight it must have broken his heart to see Liverpool winning because they were telling him in effect that they don't need him anymore...


All credit to Rafa Benitez for making the Liverpool defense the strongest it has been in recent years but one cannot help but feel resentful toward him as the reason that Owen is not back at the Kop. Until now, I believed that all of Liverpool wanted him back, but Rafa, but what can I say, tonight my heart broke as Owen's must have... My dream of seeing Owen, Gerrard and Carragher was shattered into a million pieces....

I rue the day that Owen signed for Real (their only fitting punishment can be languishing in inconsistency brought upon by terrible work ethics and a lack of respect for hard work and efficiency which on any day outweighs a lazy flair…) and I shall rue this day on which he came back to his real home... I’m an ardent Liverpudlian and nothing will shake my love for the traditions (and until now I didn't know that it had involved making an already distraught player more miserable) and spirit which Liverpool represents but today and only today I would rather have seen them lose than see the devastated look on my all-time favorite Liverpool player…
Owen wouldn't lose hope and so I too shall try not to. I will hope that Fate has something but distress in store for him....

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

I don't..........I do believe in fairies?

Well haven't posted in ages- feeling too bored to do so i guess... Watched a splendid movie yesterday- 'Finding Neverland'. Very sweet movie about J.M.Barrie, author of 'Peter Pan', played by the always brilliant Johnny Depp and also featuring Kate Winslet. It's the story of how Barrie was inspired to write 'Peter Pan'; his inspiration being the Davies’ boys and the book was based on his friendship with them. It was one of those movies after watching which you cannot help but feel good.... I was practically floating on air, re-living all my childhood and adolescent fantasies (for the curious these did NOT involve anyone you PERSONALLY know). I suddenly felt vindicated in living in my dream world. It was alright to retire to this 'Neverland' of mine when I chose to, as Barrie had done... I vowed to myself, to honestly create my own 'Neverland' without external influences. Not Tolkien's Middle Earth and not Pan's Neverland but my own unreality....
Disaster struck however, when my friend prompted me to find out if Barrie was indeed a pedophile or just accused of being one. I was offended initially on behalf of my newly found "companion" on journeys to the dream land, but I was simply too "grown up" to ignore the possibility of an unpleasant disaster in 'Neverland'. I read an article afterward; the writer didn't denounce Barrie as such but seemed to think 'Peter Pan' was disturbing rather than the magical disneyish story we had imagined it to be. It certainly was about the boy who never grew up- about Barrie himself but the likening Barrie to Humbert from Lolita made me sick to the stomach. I am glad that the writer conceded that Barrie didn't indulge in any sexual activities with the Davies' boys or even betray any want to do so but it still irks...
I agree that Barrie was an immature adult who simply wanted to escape the realities and responsibilities of life by remaining a boy forever but to accuse him of feeling anything but friendship with the Davies…….., that my heart will not allow.
Needless to say, any wishes of emulating Barrie were speedily squashed. I realized I couldn’t stay young forever- it’s too…… too cowardly… Plus I haven’t a brother’s death to confront in my past or any other equally tragedic incident so I haven’t anything to run away from really. Yet I do enjoy retiring, temporarily, to a dreamworld and so I shall try to create one… maybe everyone should…