In January 2002 I returned home from Amsterdam to Dublin in a haze, well a fog, or a maybe a fuzz, I was fuzzy, or slightly hairy mouthed. I was also rich, not Bill Gates rich but I had ten grand not burning a whole in my pocket, the rent had been cheap, the salary had been good, and the weed had been free in Amsterdam.
I returned to my mothers door to be met with a look that seemed to me to be relief, I had left home a slightly unstable 23 year old and had returned a capricious 25 year old. As I mentioned I had money to spare and perhaps it may have been a good idea to head out into the real world and get a job straight away, but I had other plans.
Off on the horizon I saw the 2002 World Cup Finals, the competition glittered like a footballers giant diamond ear ring on a BBC post match interview. Ten grand, a roof over my head, and the possible fulfilling of my ambition to watch very single one of the televised matches of a World Cup. I managed to accomplish my dream. I awoke at 7am every morning, watched 90 minutes, then went back to bed and arose again at midday to watch a second game. The previous two years of white widow and sticky green don’t allow me to remember any of those footballing gods and their trickery, but rest assured I enjoyed every second of them.
Now my life has come full circle, redundancy beckons and a large last pay packet is coming in January, and low and behold a world cup not 5 months off in the distance. There has been a few small changes though, I no longer live with my mother, I have a mortgage and bills to pay, oh and I have a wife too. All these things apart I feel it might be possible to relive my 2002 dream in the year of our lord 2010, and once more see every wonderful free kick, last minute handball, and nose pukingly hilarious England semi final exit.
Can I dare to dream?
on Nov 30th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Do Red, do. It’s what Sepp Blatter would’ve wanted.
on Nov 30th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Do it, oh Jesus, do it.
For all the working, for all the childrened, for me.
Do it for all of us, Red Leeroy.
on Nov 30th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I’d say that Her Indoors can’t wait for it! But it’s the dream Red… and dreams must be lived… didn’t someone once say that? If they didn’t then they should have….. or something.
on Dec 1st, 2009 at 1:46 pm
It’s a feat I accomplished last year for the European Championships. Took four months off work between June and September. It was utterly glorious.
on Dec 1st, 2009 at 1:49 pm
@ Narocroc - Yeah Sepp told me to do it.
@ Gimme - Ever thought of being a politician, you are very convincing.
@ Ubuntuc - You just said it.
@ Radge - It calls me like so many sirens.
on Dec 1st, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I’ve heard that involves talking to people, Red, and I couldn’t be doing with that.
on Dec 1st, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Shit!!.. there is football on this summer????… must.. find.. hiding place!!
on Dec 1st, 2009 at 10:14 pm
is that the african or european world cup?
on Dec 2nd, 2009 at 12:13 am
do it old chap do it for all us waiters who could never do it….live our dream….[waves at you from the door with a white hankie and a tear in eye]
on Dec 2nd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
You can dare to d.ream, Red. You know you can do it. Things can only get better…