Halloween this year was a memorable one.  Not because of the cold, the wind, the rain, the costumes, the candy – quite frankly, for no reason related to the traditional celebratory affairs that take place on Oct 31 whatsoever.  It was memorable because, at precisely 8:08pm EST, every house on every street turn off its lights, locked its doors, and switched on the TV to watch the Blue Jays play game 6 of The World Series for the first time in 32 years.

Okay, so maybe it’s a bit of an exaggeration to say that every house took action at precisely the same time, but there was undeniably something different in the air.  It was, by and large, a wonderful feeling, shared mostly by the parents, but could also be seen in the multitude of younger trick or treaters dressed up in their hero’s attire – be they Vladdy, Kirk, Gaussman or Carter.  Passing the other parents strolling alongside their kids, no longer exchanging the niceties of ‘happy Halloween’, ‘good evening’ or a simple ‘hello’, no, not that night; on that night there were only three words exchanged between every passing chaperone on the block:  Go Jays Go.

Our kids may not have been quite as excited or passionate about the game as we were, but they did understand that something special was happening to get so many people energized and fired up.  Whether it was on the school yard, at the grocery store, or any other place you could name across this great country, blue shirts, hats, banners, flags and posters made it loud and clear that Canada was excited and ready for its team to do something big. Certainly more exciting for them than the game was the fact that, around that 8:00 timestamp, many houses started to get more than a little generous with the doling out of their candy, as a couple of pieces turned into a couple of handfuls and, eventually, just dumping the rest of the bowl into their bags.  It was fascinating to observe really, as this horde mentality suddenly caused people to forget that we are capable of handing out candy and having the TV or radio on in the background, or that the game would actually going on for at least a couple of hours.  Nevertheless, the girls took in a good haul as a result and, well, that just means the Dad tax on the goody bag had a particularly nice return this year.

Now, we all know how this things eventually panned out (spoiler alert: the Jays did not win The World Series this year).  Having said that, I am careful with my words there.  I am not saying that they blew it, or they choked, failed, or lost; I am saying they didn’t win.  What they did do was bring people together over something that felt not just long overdue, but very much needed.  The Blue Jays are Canada’s team, and, whether you’re a long time, dedicated fan, or jumping on the bandwagon, the World Series brought this country together over something common, basic and without tariffs.  The event most recent in my memory that I could compare it to was the Tragically Hip’s final concert – an event that still, and forever will hold a precious spot in my memory.  The Jays making it to game 7 was a lot like that – a nation bonding together; not over feelings of hate, anger, dispute or conflict – passion, perhaps, but for something that appeared to spark hope more than anything.

I’m not saying the baseball is the solution to life’s problems, but wasn’t it a nice reprieve that, at least for month of October, we didn’t put as much focus on whatever it is that’s happening in the political arena?  Not that we should turn a blind eye to the things that shape our world and our society, but I took purposeful note of the fact that most conversations I had with people had more excitement in them than normal.  That common ground we found, for whatever reason our primitive minds naturally tap into, was solid.  Win or lose, my day to day doesn’t actually change; I will go to work, brush my teeth, pick up the groceries, all in the same way that did every day before that, save for the conversation.  In an age where we do everything we can to avoid actual conversation – texting, posting, liking, sharing – the headlines, for a change, were of a tone that the majority of people were yearning for.  I looked forward to sharing stats, talking about the big catch, the big hit or the big moment with complete strangers in line.  Very few other scenarios allow for that to happen where the subject isn’t dire.  Of course it saddens me that, after what I admit was a heart-breaking 11th inning, there are some folks out there who’s takeaway was not the bonding of a nation but that blame must be laid on individuals; the so and so should have made this play, or run faster or, ‘whatever’.  In my opinion, The Jays didn’t ‘lose the game’, they won our hearts, no matter the final score.

It was a fun season to watch; one that brought me back to my childhood and that will hopefully paint a part of history for my own kin.  It will take the next several months for my heart rate to return to normal, and when it does I look forward to Spring training and those first signs of whatever may once again be.  Heading to the Skydome, tuning into 590  while I mow the lawn, setting up the outdoor projector, or just cuddling on the couch with the kiddos, I look forward to all of it in due time.