a chance not only to dream... but to believe

i just watched "Miracle" on vcd. the triumph of the USA amateur ice hockey team over the professional and all dominating USSR in the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.ice hockey is played at blistering pace, and great violence - just my kind of game.but that really isn't the point. for the American players, it was more than a hockey game.2 mths ago, i went through exactly the same thing. i remember every single moment of 26th May 2004, every single moment of the match, from the rain, to the warmup, to the pitch, to the partisan crowds.watching the USA team step out of the locker room and onto the ring, i had the same feeling as when i walked out onto the side pitch to warm up, all pumped up and armoured for the battle.it wasn't about myself, it was about the team, it was about the crest emblazoned across my heart. sacrificing so much of the past 1.5 years just to taste that short sweet moment of victory, it was all worth it. whenever i dream of rugby, its always those same life-changing moments that flash through my mind, reminding me that we didn't dream, we believed.

i watched it again today. don't know why, just felt like it. the moment when they stepped onto the ring and the moment when they got together for their cheer - i experienced those moments before. they're the memories and moments one will treasure forever. one more reason why i don't want to play u19 this year, its never going to be like that, its never even going to get anywhere near the closeness of Raffles. don't want to blemish those moments with fresher memories of getting run to the ground by Japan or Taiwan.i wrote my college essay again after watching the video again. with the memories rushing back,i'm sure its way better than the first draft which just didn't feel like i wrote it.