AAARSENAL

I mean, Bio30 can go on and be all the misery in the world rolled into one and the Premier League can be crazy and I could finally go and cliff myself for all I care. Arsenal. 2-1 Barcelona at the Emirates. Still completed half the number of passes Barcelona did, still didn't beat the masters at the possession game, still owed enough to sheer dumb luck, but we scored two goals in five minutes and holy everything, if there's anything holy it resembles wins like this. Xavi. Jack. Pique being unavailable for the next match. Cesc shoving Pique off the pitch, if accidentally. Koscielny. Being irritated when David Villa's goal goes in and it isn't ruled offside. Messi's hair not being shampoo-commercial perfect. Theo's running. Arshavin coming on for Song and scoring fifteen minutes later. Robin van Persie and scoring goal from a ridiculous angle and then running straight up to Arsene and hugging him. Having more shots on target than Barcelona. Almost-goals and fluffed chances. Szczesny. Captains Cesc and Xavi. Kos leaving the pitch in mint blue. Robin conducting the crowd- the crowd was amazing after that first Arsenal goal. The antimadridista banners going all the way to London. Pep and Arsene. Samir not being injured any more. Leo and Don Andres. The fact that all we need is a draw at the Camp Nou and we still won't park the bus. All we need is a draw at the Camp Nou- oh my gulay.

Still a cule, will probably always be a cule, but. But like hell will I stick with these gunners, Champions League and beyond.

And did I never say: Robin van Persie, when it comes to you I am a bit of an idiot? That's the way I say I love you. Yes, yes I have. Always worth saying again.

AAARSENAL

I mean, Bio30 can go on and be all the misery in the world rolled into one and the Premier League can be crazy and I could finally go and cliff myself for all I care. Arsenal. 2-1 Barcelona at the Emirates. Still completed half the number of passes Barcelona did, still didn't beat the masters at the possession game, still owed enough to sheer dumb luck, but we scored two goals in five minutes and holy everything, if there's anything holy it resembles wins like this. Xavi. Jack. Pique being unavailable for the next match. Cesc shoving Pique off the pitch, if accidentally. Koscielny. Being irritated when David Villa's goal goes in and it isn't ruled offside. Messi's hair not being shampoo-commercial perfect. Theo's running. Arshavin coming on for Song and scoring fifteen minutes later. Robin van Persie and scoring goal from a ridiculous angle and then running straight up to Arsene and hugging him. Having more shots on target than Barcelona. Almost-goals and fluffed chances. Szczesny. Captains Cesc and Xavi. Kos leaving the pitch in mint blue. Robin conducting the crowd- the crowd was amazing after that first Arsenal goal. The antimadridista banners going all the way to London. Pep and Arsene. Samir not being injured any more. Leo and Don Andres. The fact that all we need is a draw at the Camp Nou and we still won't park the bus. All we need is a draw at the Camp Nou- oh my gulay.

Still a cule, will probably always be a cule, but. But like hell will I stick with these gunners, Champions League and beyond.

And did I never say: Robin van Persie, when it comes to you I am a bit of an idiot? That's the way I say I love you. Yes, yes I have. Always worth saying again.

if you will pardon, we will mend

I cannot call the shots. I can tell the person calling the shots that they're doing it wrong and this is how to do it better, I can pass on the shots with my added caveats and comments and general advice, I can fire away suggestions and run through everyone else's and make the result something we can work with, but I cannot be the person who throws ideas in the air to be gunned down and improved upon (and the way I structured that sentence already says a lot) and who has to put it all together. My entire existence depends on opposition and reaction and irritation at people doing things wrong. I cannot be the person who does things wrong to begin with.

Summary of that paragraph would be Lord, let this cup pass from me, if anyone were there to listen. I am not Prince Hamlet, and I'm not William Shakespeare either, but then again William Shakespeare never got anywhere by despairing about his inability to be William Shakespeare. (If someone tells me that this means that I ought to be despairing about my inability to be Kit Marlowe I will punch them, if I don't laugh first.) I am not our director*, but damn if we don't make this play the best play we can make it.



*All of a sudden I sympathize with all the directors I've ever rowed with. I suppose I get to be one sort of stupid in high school and another sort of stupid now.

if you will pardon, we will mend

I cannot call the shots. I can tell the person calling the shots that they're doing it wrong and this is how to do it better, I can pass on the shots with my added caveats and comments and general advice, I can fire away suggestions and run through everyone else's and make the result something we can work with, but I cannot be the person who throws ideas in the air to be gunned down and improved upon (and the way I structured that sentence already says a lot) and who has to put it all together. My entire existence depends on opposition and reaction and irritation at people doing things wrong. I cannot be the person who does things wrong to begin with.

Summary of that paragraph would be Lord, let this cup pass from me, if anyone were there to listen. I am not Prince Hamlet, and I'm not William Shakespeare either, but then again William Shakespeare never got anywhere by despairing about his inability to be William Shakespeare. (If someone tells me that this means that I ought to be despairing about my inability to be Kit Marlowe I will punch them, if I don't laugh first.) I am not our director*, but damn if we don't make this play the best play we can make it.



*All of a sudden I sympathize with all the directors I've ever rowed with. I suppose I get to be one sort of stupid in high school and another sort of stupid now.