Sport fans

On my way to the screening of the "video blog" from Salam Pax, the Baghdad Blogger, a great visual diary from someone who avoids the "no to war" hysteria as well as the "Iraqi will be soon playing baseball and driving the kids to soccer" naive expectations of many. A documentary to see, no matter what you thought about the war.
I'm waiting for the subway near a group of 4 guys and a teenage girl. The men range in age from more than 60 years old to about 30. All are wearing a red cap marked with the sign of the Nationals, the newest addition to this town's sport scene. I don't follow baseball closely but even I felt the enthusiasm of people when speaking about having a baseball team back in town. It is the conversation most likely to trigger a nostalgic reaction from older people and hope from the young.
The subway comes and as I get in I see a little girl about 7 or 8 wearing the same red cap. As she notices the group stepping in the car, she gasps and jumps from her seat as if she had just seen her best friend in an unplanned meeting. She sits back quickly and looks at the group for a sign of recognition. The older man of the group smiles with a small nod. She immediately turns to her mother, the other witness of her entrance in the adult world of sport fan. She is in.