Greetings Syndicate Brethren,
Is it really all coming to an end, Vicey?
Indeed it is, my most esteemed friends. On the 20th anniversary of our humble little project, we're set to cover our last football tournament in our 30th and final chapter of "Shadow Scholar Syndicate".
As duly noted in last Summer's farewell address, the delayed 2022 Women's Euros constitutes our terminus. We've arrived at the end of this blog. Two decades. Easily over 20,000 pages. Far too much money invested in phone bills and post-tournament "schwag packs" to be quantified.
In the event that there's someone un-acquainted with this massive longitudinal undertaking reading this, an attempt to concisely answer the most frequently asked questions about the whole venture can be found in last year's address.
The author doesn't necessarily have time to offer up further explanation at this time. Suffice to say that it's been about as insane as it's been stubborn, but that it's always come straight from the heart. Here we must devote what precious little space modern attention-spans permit to the loyal readers of the last 20 years.
Ahem. Standard practice for tackling the writer's block that arises when confronting such an emotionally difficult topic holds that one must first give oneself the permission to write badly. Your friendly bookie must do so here. Perhaps these words won't come close to conveying my deep affection for all of you.
Here's my best effort:
When a lonely teenager sat down in the LSU computer lab to crank out coverage of the 2002 World Cup, his primary motivation lay in keeping in touch with far-flung multi-national friends in Europe that he was forced to abandon. When introducing the 2018 WM chapter, we took a moment to reflect on just how insanely much the world has changed since that time.
Practically everything undergone monumental shifts. This includes the footballing chronicler and all those immensely interesting persons he's striven so hard to keep in touch with. How far we've all come from those days long gone. Ironically enough, however, the foundational catalyst for this project remains precisely the same.
It has and always shall be a great honor and privilege to have spent these days with you, friends. Checking in every time a major tournament took place, we've traversed the ongoing challenges of life together. We've made it through the deep vales and seen our way to new peaks, all the while rejoicing in the beautiful global game; the perfect excuse to rally together and forget our sorrows.
The uncompromising personal style of this blog grew out of the deep conversations shared with syndicate -Ms over the years. As we spoke about the difficulties associated with life--be it families, career changes, loss, or simply the sharp and often crushing nature of reality--the bookie felt it necessary to be open, forthright, and candid about personal struggles.
Knowing that sharing both feelings and football made a small difference in the lives of those I've held dear made these last years worthwhile. Camaraderie happens to be the only true salve for the emptiness bestowed upon us by the random, chaotic, and entropic nature of existence. For this reason, the optics of this blog never kept pace with the possibilities accorded by the exponential growth in internet technology.
Visual upgrades weren't a priority. Providing comfort, solace, and laughter to treasured friends remained far more important. A larger audience was never sought. As time passed, more and more such friends encouraged the bookie to convert his life's great passion into more mainstream content. I've ultimately acquiesced to these well-intentioned suggestions.
Before the time comes to travel new paths and pursue new avenues, I simply need to thank all of you one last time. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be your friend. Thank you for permitting me the chance to share football with you. Above all, thanks for letting me be a participant in your lives. I can only hope that I've been modestly helpful.
Some news to report.
1) Never seek self-aggrandizement
Your friendly bookie's profound disdain for self-promotion came from her. It mattered not how many foreign languages she mastered, how many books she published, or how many academic accolades she attained. My dearest late mother always conducted herself with the utmost humility. Not once did she ever brag about her accomplishments.
Irrespective of how much knowledge we accrue over the course of a lifetime, none of us can hope to understand more than a small portion of the world in which we live. More insight is always available to those willing to listen. Only those who do not consider themselves above others can truly perfect the art of listening.
All persons change and evolve to some degree as they progress through life. In principle, the capacity to do so is infinite. The biggest detriment to one's betterment and improvement remains the wasted time and energy spent on insisting that one is exceptional in some way. Fritting and fretting about how great one is exercises the mouth when it's the ears that need to be active.
2) Strive for maximum understanding and kindness
No sense in getting sententious with this one. To relate to others in a manner that takes their feelings and experiences into account definitely counts as one of the most difficult tasks in life. No one can hope to achieve anything close to perfection in this regard. Time runs short. So too, often for good reason, does patience.
I nevertheless consider myself exceptionally lucky to have observed the manner in which she dealt with her students. She genuinely loved being a teacher and a mentor and threw everything she had into the work. I watched closely as she read a read a pupil deeply. There existed a most amazing talent to cut through deficiencies and bring out a learner's true strength.
The virtues of patience and kindness do not come cheaply. One will get burned. Many efforts will not bear fruit. It takes a very special kind of fortitude to resist the temptation to view others as mere behavioral patterns and instead take the time to cultivate faith in them as individuals. Her type of courageous kindness led her to give up on practically no one.
3) Elevate all those around you
The greatest tool for alleviating the anxiety associated with taking a step forward is to take a look around and see if there are any hands to grab on your way. A step taken solely by oneself counts as a missed opportunity if there were actually others around you that needed a lift up. At the very least, offer up one's hand to all those appearing in need.
Hers was a welcoming, warm, and non-judgmental hand. She did not selfishly lecture others or presume to know what they needed or wanted. A subtle and benevolent hand guided by a gentle heart works best. Whenever your friendly bookie closes a chapter, he encourages all the -Ms to "live lionhearted or don't bother living at all".
The phrase, though it may have never been something that she ever said outright, took inspiration from her altruistic core. She was by no means fully consistent in letting this beautiful facet of her be seen. Even in moments during which some stressor or other hinderance rendered her exterior seemingly hard or cold, the great compassion and concern she had for others inherent within remained evident.
She would take anyone with her who wished to go forward. On no occasion did I ever witness her try to trip someone up, hold them back, or obstruct their progress with her own neediness or victimization. She plowed through so many personal set-backs with a stoic sense of honor, always looking around to see if there was someone who needed her help.
With the humbles of hearts, your friendly bookie dedicates this final chapter of the Sportsbook to someone very special whom it was my great privilege to know. She left us far, far too soon. To the best of my abilities, I hall attempt to carry on the spirit of her tender heart.
Mi manchi, bellissima ragazza. Ogni minuto di ogni ora di ogni giorno. Grazie per tutto il tuo incoraggiamento e la tua guida. Grazie per non avermi mai abbandonato. Prometto di andare avanti, guidata interiormente da tutto ciò che mi hai insegnato.
