専松：Sen-Matsu at Koshien

Yesterday, I switched on the TV around 6 PM. 

Senshu University Matsudo High School was up against Nichidai Tsuchiura at Koshien. Ughhhh, I just had to watch it. I began cheering for them. Senshu was in the lead by one point! That was great!

 Learning that the Matsudo cheering group couldn't be present at the venue due to the typhoon was quite disappointing. The Shinkansen train service was suspended due to the typhoon, although it turned out that the Shinkansen was actually moving; however, it appeared to have halted at some station. The cheering squad aboard the bullet train must have been eager to support the team on-site.

 I'll spare you the details. 

Sadly, Senmatsu lost the game in the end. I believe it was the result of a bit of bad luck. Nevertheless, it was a good game overall. 

 Whenever I watch high school baseball games, my mind often wanders back to the interclass baseball tournament during my junior high school days. Our unity in class 1-A was truly remarkable. We all put in our best effort as a cohesive unit. I can't recall if we won or not (LOL), but we fought as a collective and celebrated together. It's a beautiful memory that remains vivid. Interestingly, my husband doesn't recollect it even though we were in the same class back then. Well, that's just how it goes. 

 Apparently, I have an affinity for being together with teams to achieve a common goal.  However, as adults, achieving that level of unity is immensely challenging, and I often find myself contemplating whether we should even strive for it. 

Nevertheless, I sense that team spirit when watching NHK's 「魔改造の夜」："The Evil Night of the Remodeling," and it never fails to bring tears to my eyes. It's my favorite program. 

As getting older, working as a team becomes challenging when the members have distinct purposes and lifestyles.

 In high school baseball, that sense of unity is apparent.