I did not anticipate my first trip back to Ohio since March 9 coming without a sporting event to complement said trip, but it was beyond worth it.
Eating wings at a place as familiar as Winking Lizard? Worth it. Driving around a city as common to me as Cleveland? Worth it. Getting a haircut at a Youngstown Great Clips, my first haircut in almost three months. Worth it.
Three simple actions that occupied not even an entire day, but spoke volumes about what our temporary reality has become.
In my first piece on the website, I spoke about the abrupt stop to sports and how the Cleveland area was at the epicenter of that stop, at least for me personally.
I had never been to Cleveland without going to a sporting event...but that changed today. And I am really glad that we made the two hour trip.
Cleveland is a city that now, on two occasions, I sought closure from. I am in love with the city for more reasons than the sporting venues.
In 2014, an abrupt end to an Indians game deteriorated a fun end-of-summer vacation and consequently ruined the rest of my summer. One summer later, I returned to Progressive Field and got the closure I never got from the disaster that unfolded the previous summer.
Today, it felt real good back to come to Cleveland. To ride down I-77, past my favorite Winking Lizard and Marriott hotels in Independence. To get a glimpse of Progressive Field, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and FirstEnergy Stadium.
Those games, both from the MAC Tournament and NCAA Tournament in March, are never coming back. I realize that. And I am okay with that.
I did not think I could have so much fun on a day trip without traveling. Today changed that for me.
Perhaps because life without travel has become my temporary norm over the past few months. Perhaps because I have not gone this long without traveling in quite some time. Regardless of the reason, today is the start of something special.
We sat down in the Macedonia Winking Lizard, with occupants enjoying a meal just like we used to just two months ago. We walked along Lake Erie and into Edgewater Park, with no masks or no unnecessary reservations about the safety. Just people, like you and I, taking in the beauty of this country and, in particular, the city of Cleveland.
I never thought I could take a sitdown meal, a trip to a city, or a haircut for granted. But I had, and this pandemic has taught me that I cannot do that anymore.
However, I have learned another thing from this pandemic. And that thing is one that sits a little better in my mind.
As Americans, despite the circumstances, we will always rebound.
I have never lived through a war. I cannot recall the horrific events of September 11, 2001, as I was just one year old. For me, this is the first large-scale tragic event I have witnessed during my nearly two decades on Earth.
Today taught me that normal is coming back. And normalcy is about so much more than sports. Normal is being able to get a meal, or a haircut. Normal is about walking along a beautiful park with excellent scenery and not worrying about someone scolding me for not having a mask.
Props are in order for Mike DeWine and the state of Ohio. At the start of this catastrophe, he was public enemy #1 for my brother and I, as we just simply did not understand the magnitude of the circumstances when DeWine began cancelling major sporting events.
Today, because of DeWine's quick response, we were able to enjoy the simple things in life that we cannot do (for now) just two hours south in the Pittsburgh area.
I write this because I know America will respond. And when we do, it will be something truly special to watch. Book it. It will be a great American revival.
It is on this day that I gained closure with Cleveland for the second time. I am not getting those March days back, but there's many bigger things to focus on.
Many people have been impacted by this terrible virus, and I pray for the victims and their families every single day.
Nonetheless, America is getting ready to bounce back. We are about to burst. Cleveland showed me what real life looks like again. I had become numb to a real, simple life. It was beautiful to witness it again today.
I do not know when sports are coming back, but they will be back, just like the rest of our society. And it will be tremendous.
For now, however, it will be a "baby-step" process. I took step one today.
The 2020 MAC Tournament and 2020 NCAA Tournament are never coming back. But thanks to American resiliency, I cannot wait to be back in Cleveland for MAC Tournaments and Indians games for years to come.
For me, the road to normal life took its first step today. And I enjoyed every bit of it.
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