Hockey "theater"

This past weekend my husband and I were in Ohio at college hockey games.  We are alums of the school we follow for hockey and are fortunate enough to have seats right behind the glass at the home team bench.  This weekend I got to watch some of the great "theater" of hockey. 

The coach of our team is very energetic and volatile, especially when the calls from the referee are not going the way the coach believes they should go.  For this game the referee was a guy who has been referee for the league for several years.  Although he is experienced he seemed to be missing many of the penalties done by the other team.  Isn't that just the way it always seems when your favorite team is playing?  Rarely does someone say, "wow, the ref really gave us the game by missing all of our illegal plays."  Usually it seems the ref always catches your team doing something wrong but misses the other team when it does something wrong. 

On this occasion the ref missed a call against the opposing team.  Our coach was very angry and started motioning the ref over for a "chat."  Now in hockey the head coach of the team can ask to talk to the ref, which usually happens when there is a question about a play. 

The coach was excitedly motioning the ref over and the ref stood on the other side of the rink and shook his head "No."  The coach continued to motion demanding the ref come to the bench.  Finally the ref agreed to come to our bench but he would only talk to the assistant coach who seemed much less animated about what had happened on the ice.  The ref motioned the head coach away and as he stepped away the ref skated over the talked to the assistant coach. 

We had a perfect view of this exchange between the three actors in this little drama.  I commented on the fact that all three seemed to be playing out parts in a drama.  Most of the crowd did not have the advantage we had to see this little act as part of the larger "theater" of the game that evening. 

Our team ended up winning in sudden death overtime.  The crowd was elated and we had a wonderful evening. 

It seems sometimes we get caught up in the emotion of a moment, whether it is a sporting event, or our everyday lives, and we miss the little nuances of the "theater" that happens all around us.  Whether it is the exchange between a hockey coach and a referee in the midst of a highly contested game, or the "dance" of attraction by two college students who happen to meet in the library, we all are too engaged in the excitement (or focused on our phones) to quietly watch and enjoy what is happening around us. 

So my suggestion to you is take some time and watch the "theater" of life as it takes place all around you.  Sometimes you can learn something from this observation.  Other times it is just fun to watch others play out their parts.  Overall it helps us connect with the world in which we live.