Not to brag, but I went to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour.
I am not a Swiftie, but I live in a house often occupied by three women, two of which are in the fan club (the third is more of a beebadoobee fan). This exposes me to a greater amount of T. Swift than most folks and I am fine with it. I’ll own up to being a casual fan.
I am a casual fan of a lot of things.
-I like the NFL and play Fantasy Football, but I am not a stats geek and have no head for team records.
-I was lucky enough to go see the Rays win their 12th straight to start the season, but again, I’m not keeping up with batting averages.
-I only play golf once a year, but watching the Masters is one of my favorite things to do in the Spring.
-I love March Madness but otherwise don’t watch much college basketball (and zero NBA), unless the Gators are having a good season, then my fandom kicks up a notch from casual.
-I enjoy a glass of wine on occasion, but aside from knowing a little about Italian vinos I am no sommelier.
I used to be embarrassed by my lack of knowledge in some of these areas. Probably just part of being a guy that sets some internal expectation of being an expert in all things, especially those that are sports related. But now I embrace my casual fandom.
I wasn’t singing along to all the songs like the rest of the crowd in Raymond James Stadium, but I knew the tunes and really enjoyed the show. My outfit was tame by comparison to most of the crowd, but I was in the spirit. It was an amazing show and I am glad I went.
We live in a world where everyone is an expert and there is always another level. I think this especially true for lawyers. We tend to let that over-control that we exert in the office and courtroom bleed over to recreational endeavors.
There is a space where you can step away from that. Here’s to enjoying a game for the sake of the game, dancing at a show when the music moves you, enjoying whatever is poured, and letting go of the details and going with the flow. Like Taylor says-
“So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it”