Anticipation

I’m sitting at my desk, books cracked, Microsoft Word open, and my ‘study/reading’ playlist cranking out calming tunes. Everything is set up perfectly for me to begin my paper due tomorrow; except there is one problem- I just can’t focus, no matter how hard I try. My mind is somewhere else entirely.

As any college student knows, this is far from unusual. Yet, this is not typical procrastination- this is something much more serious. This is 'anticipation'. For tonight is no ordinary night, it is the eve of the NBA season, and the eve of my beloved Lakers quest for their 16th title.

Anticipation- the NBA’s tagline for its season opening week- is not simply a state of mind, it is a feeling that grasps you entirely, rendering you unable to complete even the most basic tasks. It strikes obsessive sports fans often- sometimes worse than others. We can feel it before every game. We feel it more before big games, or at the beginning of the post-season. It is on opening day however, that we feel anticipation most strongly.