Bring on Tampa Bay. We can take them, easily. They beat us a few times during the season, but the playoffs are a different story. And I'm ready to do my part as a BoSox fan: I got my Youkilis gear on (I love him); I'm ready for my communal rabble rousing on Yawkee, I have my seats along the first base line, I have fresh new puns for Coco Crisp (and I know he can hear me). Basically, I'm ready to go and everything is fine . . . except for one thing: my boyfriend doesn't care.
 
I know. How can you not care? It's not like he's a Yankees fan (we wouldn't be anywhere near each other if that were the case). So, how can he not care? We're about to win a third World Series (we ARE) in five years and two in a row. What, is he bored with success? Is he too distraught about the Tom Brady? Is he more of a Celtic's fan? Does he think I'm into Youkilis too much?  None of these possibilities are excuses for not being into this. This is Boston's time to shine, and I'm dating "dull."
 
And he's such a great guy. Sweet, funny, successful, gorgeous. God, he is almost perfect. I just need him to be as into the Sox as I am and he's nowhere near it. He says he's got other things to think about, like his investments, his future, and me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Any Bostonian worth their weight in peanuts knows that you put all that crap on hold when playoff baseball rolls around.
 
The bottom line is that the Red Sox, a team I love so much they are engrained in my soul, a team I am so into that whether I am optimistic or pessimistic for the winter depends on their success, a team that I live for every summer, is of no concern to the man I love. And, to be quite honest, it makes me love him a little less.
 
The worldly lady in the cubicle  next to me at work has some weird stuff on her wall: sayings of wisdom and crap like that. I usually ignore the stuff, but ever since I've been going through this with my boyfriend, one statement by some Japanese Buddhist guy struck me as totally true:
 
A healthy relationship is one in which two people encourage each other to reach their respective goals while sharing each other's hopes and dreams. A relationship should be a source of inspiration, invigoration and hope.
 
Exactly! My hopes and dreams involve the Boston Red Sox. No, they ARE the Boston Red Sox. My boyfriend definitely is NOT a source of inspiration, invigoration and hope. I already told him not to come to any games with me because his apathy might be bad luck. Maybe I should tell him not to go anywhere with me.
 
I would think about it more, but Sportscenter is on. Go BoSox!

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