By the time Sunday rolls around, I will have spent no fewer than 24 hours over a three-day span inside the Glacier High School gymnasium. There are elements of insanity involved with this whole ordeal. I’m aware of that. I’ve done this before.
Funny things start happening in your mind when you’re removed from the real world and stuffed inside a gym for so long. You begin having cravings for nachos and polish dogs. Your world outside of the gym suddenly feels desolate and cold without incessant referee whistles and screaming fans. You realize that at work, time doesn’t ever stop, not even for free throws.
Oh, and I love it. High school basketball tournaments are truly a joy. They’re cultural. I can’t think of many other social events that so effectively encourage diversity. They bring groups of people together for a weekend who will most likely not share a common room for the rest of the year. People care about this stuff. Let’s not lie.
We’re not changing the world here, but in so many ways, many of which we don’t fully understand, these events really matter to us. That’s why we scream and writhe in our seats. Part of the value is entertainment, but certainly not all. Much of it is innate and inexplicable. And I’m just talking about us – the spectators. What it means for these kids should be self-explanatory. Take a look at their faces at the end of a game.
So with this in my mind, I look forward to the rest of my temporary relocation inside the Glacier High School gymnasium. There’s no other place that I would rather be.