I've not written for almost a year and a half, and I come to Sox Nation, hat in hand, to ask to be welcomed back. In my real life, I'm a prep school teacher; professional obligations have been a bit overwhelming in the last dozen or so months, and as such, this blog went into a steady decline until if evaporated. It is time to bring the blog back.

I very much miss being a part of the virtual coffee shop of the blogosphere, discussing all things baseball (plus a bit more.) Moreover, though this blog consumed a great deal of time for me when it was most active in 2003 and 2004, it made everything in my life work better (a subject for a future post . . . ;-)

This morning finds the Olde Towne Teame onlye foure gamese aheade of ye old Bronx Bombers; the Yankees have put on an absolutely smashing display of baseball over the past 2 months. Having said that, there is much to be happy about this summer's edition of the Sox. Still sporting the best record in the game and a four game lead in mid-August, the team has been exciting to watch all summer. The weather in New England has been the best its been in five or six summers, and we still have a bit of World Series buzz left from 2004. I still think the Sox will win the division by a half dozen games or so, so could everybody please just come in from off the ledge now?

Let's keep in mind that the essence of fandom is not raising stress levels for the next two months; the real privilege of being a fan is found through the enjoyment of a shared community experience. The Sox pull this region together each summer and contribute a great deal to a shared New England identity. Let's get over ourselves and stop making a fetish of cyncial pessimism. We're pretty lucky to have them . . .