Archive: Opinions

The Stanley Cup made an appearance in Ithaca last Saturday.  For those who do not follow hockey, the Stanley Cup is the National Hockey League’s (NHL) championship trophy.  It is the holy grail of hockey and a symbol of greatness for all who follow the sport.

If you have ever attended a hockey game, you have experienced something close to a religious experience.  Like the faithful preparing to attend a solemn mass or greet a spiritual master, the most devoted of hockey fans prepare in advance for each game.  They choose their clothing carefully, usually the team jersey and comfortable pants.  For the zealots, the jersey will bear the name and number of the star player.  The name Wayne Gretzky comes to mind when I think of hockey greats.

Some purchase season tickets with seats right up against the plexiglass.  These devotees serve as self-appointed cheerleaders rousing the crowds to voice approval for the home team or condemnation upon the opponents.   Their actions often border on the extreme and often use creative vocabulary and unique gestures to emphasize their message.  For many, it is a chance to commune with the divine ice god of hockey.

This zeal and devotion to hockey has not faded even though the NHL season ended several months ago.  Local hockey fans arrived hours before the Stanley Cup appeared at the Ithaca High Stadium.  Some had waited over 10 hours just to be one of the first in line.  For some, it was a once in a lifetime experience. People stared at it with awe and wonder.  Many stood next to it while friends took their picture for a once in a lifetime photo.

The importance of this symbol, and others like it, reveals our basic need to believe in something.  We yearn to find meaning, to find truth, in something that transcends the ordinary and the mundane.  Whether it is from the athletic, spiritual, patriotic, or natural realm, we strive to achieve the greatness for which the symbol represents.

For the patriot, the flag or the Constitution stands as the ultimate source of truth. The playing of taps at a military event evokes an emotional force so great that even the hardest of veterans cannot hold back the tears.   If you are in search of communion with the divine, it is a pilgrimage to a holy shrine or touching a sacred object bestows upon an individual the real presence of God.   Those who hike or climb find euphoria as they reach the peak of a mountaintop and admire the 360° world view.

A symbol possesses meaning to those who believe in it.  It takes on a power and authority that sets itself apart from all other objects.  Those who strive to be share in the symbol do so for a host of reasons.  These include a sense of belonging, strength, self-worth, nostalgia, joy, and hope.  Many devote their lives to win, defend, and enjoy the benefits associated with these symbols.

For others, these objects are quaint artifacts or unusual oddities.   The Stanley Cup is merely shaped metal on a wooden base.  The US flag is simply dyed material arranged in a pattern.  A cross is just two pieces of wood fixed to one another at right angles.   They may offer a window into a culture, but that is its extent.

Regardless of what we view as important, symbols define us.  They give us meaning and link us to our past so that the garment of history is not merely a collection of threads, but an object with a story to tell.  Symbols are a source of pride and an expression of what we believe in and to what extent we will go to keep the symbol in our lives.

I enjoy when these objects are brought into our area and displayed for all to see.  They remind us of our humanity, our common bond that, whether we are devotees or not, we share in the joys, the tears, the victories and the missed opportunities that these symbols possess.  And that is to the point.

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