The Chicago Cubs World Series win is the election distraction America needs.
Sometimes we just need moments of pure joy.
It had been 108 years since the Chicago Cubs won the World Series — the longest championship drought not just in baseball, but in all of U.S. pro sports.
On Wednesday night, the team defeated the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the World Series, becoming champions for the first time since Roosevelt was president (Teddy, not Franklin).
The Cubs celebrate their first World Series in 108 years. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.
As a whole, the series — which saw Cleveland jump ahead to a three-games-to-one advantage before Chicago came back to win three in a row — was an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride.
It was also exactly what America needs right now.
Cubs fans celebrate outside Wrigley Field in Chicago. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.
This year's presidential election has been brutal, seemingly endless, and inescapable. The World Series was the perfect distraction from it all.
Odds are that if you're planning on casting a ballot on Nov. 8, you already know who you're going to vote for. At this point, no amount of talk of which candidates sent what emails or who grabs women where is likely to persuade you. Still, the next several days will be full of these messages, perhaps even more intense than ever before.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.
It's exhausting, it's anxiety-inducing, and it's stressful.
Short of turning off your TV, unplugging your computer, avoiding newspapers, and logging out of your social media accounts, there's not much you can do to escape it. That's why life's little joys — even something as simple as a baseball game — are so needed right now. Sure, it's temporary relief, but it's meaningful.
Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo celebrates a run in the fourth inning. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images.
Joy helps us navigate the world in trying times. It doesn't erase the bad, but it provides needed balance.
"At its best, sports provides a glimpse of us at our best — fair competition among companions for glory of something larger than ourselves," tweeted Ana Marie Cox, a journalist who has been covering the presidential campaign for MTV. "But even the greatest moments in sports don't undo or cancel out or counter us at our worst. And there's a lot of worst going around [right now]."
Just a day earlier, Cox published a heartfelt message about how this year's campaign — and more specifically, the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency — led her to question her religious faith. In trying times, there's nothing wrong with escaping into a world of temporary joy. Joy gives us relief. Joy gives us perspective.
Actor and Cubs fan Bill Murray reacts on the field after the Chicago Cubs won Game 7. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.
Even if you're not a Cubs fan, a baseball fan, or even a sports fan — this joy is for you, too.
We've earned it. We've all earned it. We shouldn't need to be made to feel perpetually anxious, and if reveling in a baseball game helps break that cycle, that's wonderful.
Maybe your joy comes from something else, like a favorite movie, a book, or a song. If that's the case, try to take a moment sometime in these next few days to let yourself experience what it is that brings you joy. You've earned it.
Find your joy, whatever it may be.
All the WayToday is our day. #FlyTheW
Posted by Chicago Cubs on Thursday, November 3, 2016
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."