World Cup and Escapism

After almost a month long festivities, 20th edition of world cup has finally come to an end. And by the early hour of tomorrow a new champion will be crowned thus relegating it to the history books . During this world cup many records were broken both on the pitch and the outside. The match between Brazil and Germany generated most number of tweets. Miroslav Klose became the highest scorer of all time. Neymar broke his back. Some of the underdogs like Costa Rica, Algeria challenged the notion that football is not only the game of elite teams. England  and Portugal kept up its perennial wont of being over hype wind bags by crashing out early.  Meanwhile Portugal cemented their legacy of being chokers. Biggest surprise was of course Spain and total demise of tiki-takka football. On the other hand United State's on again and off again love affair with soccer that seem to rekindle periodically in every four years again surfaced. But this time perhaps alarmed due to high ESPN's rating, right wing commentator Ann Coulter went on vile diatribe against football in general calling it the cultural and moral decadence in American in general. She is entitled to her opinion whatever they may be.  And perhaps most sadly a girl in Nepal killed herself when Brazil lost.

But now as the extravaganza draws close so does this month long escapism or should we rather say a spell of  mass hypnosis. During this period unbeknownst to most so many things happened:  Iraq is falling towards Muslim state with rise of ISIS, Israel and Palestine has gone to war again, Germany has expelled CIA chief , there is  brewing crisis in Ukraine and in our  own home front uncertainty in budget and politics as usual. So question may  arise amidst all these real world problem does the world cup taking center stage is really justifiable? Are we being too narrow minded and selfish that we seem to be oblivion to suffering of our fellow human beings and are too absorbed on absurd notion of who might score a next goal? Doesn't the sport being the major issue has really subjugated us to level of Proles in Orwellian Society?

Well the answer may depend on who you ask.  For me personally answer is no. No, the world cup is not  the distraction and neither is it a escapism. Instead it is the celebration of human virtue. It is the embodiment of all the goodness of mankind, amalgam of human spirit that brings in people of diverse culture irrespective of their cast, creed, ethnicity, sexual orientation, racial background to one common purpose and one common goal. It is a sublime demonstration of brotherhood, helping your team mate, showing courage in front of despair and fight for glory fair and square.

The world has been always divided place. Everything from religion, politics to geographical lines have separated the people and will continue far away in future as well.  But amidst all this the world cup gives a chance, a simple glimmer of hope that in the heart we all are same. We all harbor same hopes and aspiration to be happy and to live life at fullest. And if some moralist accuse us of this as escapism then let it be. Because we all need a short break.