Soccer Mom

Only in Canada. I can't imagine this happening anywhere else.

Mom said the other day, "You know that Italy won the soccer game yesterday?"

"The soccer game? You watch soccer?"

"Yes, I watched the game at home last night. Last year, Portugal won. It's always either Portugal, Italy, or Spain."

"You follow soccer?"

"Only when the Euro Cup is on."

"You know about the Euro Cup?"

"Can't help it. It's always on TV at the mahjongg club. That's how I started watching soccer."

Who would have known mom followed the Euro Cup games?

I only know a game has taken place when the blast and blare of car horns reach my ear from St. Clair. If I happen to be on St. Clair, I see cars waving the flags of the victors. Recently, I saw a red flag with a crescent and star and mistook it for the Chinese flag. But I noted none of the flag wavers were Asian. I asked several cars that got close to me, "Does China have a soccer team?" They all said yes. What was China doing in the Euro Cup? That was a very confusing evening and I didn't understand how the loyalty of soccer fans worked.

Later, I looked the flag up and realized it was the Turkish flag. That made much more sense. But why did those cars tell me China has a soccer team? Ah, maybe China does have a soccer team, but just not in the Euro Cup. That was my assumption.

I bet mom knew this.