Cubs fans know well the space between hope and disappointment. After all, they have been waiting for this day for 71 years -- a lifetime.What happened in the space of those seven decades? Baseball unionized. Baseball became racially integrated. Ballplayers broke records. And the Cubs never made it past the playoffs.Something else happened in that space. Gargantuan legends grew from one goat, and each year proved, for the Cubs at least, that a curse was real.By making it to the World Series, the Chicago Cubs have shown us how quickly things can change and let us believe that perhaps nothing is doomed after all.Baseball can be a slow game to watch, but it offers us something that other sports do not. In its slowness, it offers us space.The space of baseball is what makes superstition possible; there is room for story. There is time for each player to settle into their body before the pitch: the batter adjusts his gloves, the pitcher collects his thoughts, the outfielder inhales.Then, action -- the bat hits, the glove catches, the ball falls. Hope and reality collide in the moment between the pitchers throw and the batters swing. For the fans, those seconds before the ball lands can feel like tension, and spectators become almost still as they wait.Of course, we never experience true silence, especially not at a major league baseball stadium, where every pause is a moment for commercialism to offer us something, for a T-shirt gun to explode into the stands, for an organ to resound.Yes, there is more noise these days than ever. Yet underneath the roar of a crowd is something like silence. My brother attended Saturdays pennant game, and he said he was so caught up in the electricity of the crowd that he forgot to open his peanuts until the third inning, and everyone stood for the entire game.This essay is not about silence; it is about pause. Between the pitches are pauses that help all restless bodies to be still, even for a moment.It is in the stillness that we learn to pay attention. Cubs fans have taught us to be unwavering in their dedication. For 71 years, they have watched as their team struggled. Then, suddenly, the spell is lifted; maybe there are no spells, after all.This lifted curse could be the spell-breaker we need in order to see that the world has enough magic, that anything is possible. Its exhilarating; it has the underdog feeling of March Madness, the triumph of ancient mythology. What will happen if we pay attention to it?We will learn that nothing is permanent, and that things are always possible, and changing. We will become so captivated by the energy of a game that we will be present for it. We will forget to open our peanuts.When we watch the World Series this week, we can remember that no matter how bleak it looks, there is always chance for the spell to be broken.Carrie Ann Welsh is a writer based in Wisconsin.? China Shoes Cheap . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. China Shoes Outlet .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. https://www.chinashoesshop.com/ . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City. China Shoes Wholesale . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. Fake China Shoes .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem.PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Lockes back forced the issue of whether the lefthander would pitch in next weeks All-Star game. The Pittsburgh Pirates starter will miss Sundays game against the New York Mets and sit out the midsummer classic due after his back tightened up during a 2-1 loss to Oakland on Tuesday. "It hasnt happened before, thats why Im speechless," Locke said. "Ive never had anything pop up like this." Gerrit Cole will start in Lockes place against the Mets and National League manager Bruce Bochy will have to find a replacement for Locke on the 34-man All-Star roster. The 25-year-old Locke has been one of the biggest surprises for one of baseballs most surprising teams. The lefthander emerged from a heated battle during spring training to make the team as the fifth starter and has flourished. He is 8-2 in 18 starts and his 2.15 ERA ranks second in the majors behind Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. Locke said he felt some discomfort toward the end of his seven innnings of work against the Athletics.dddddddddddd The symptoms lingered into Wednesday and flared up again during a weightlifting session. "I felt like I opened up the wound again," he said. He went through his normal bullpen routine on Friday and against Saturday but he and the Pirates decided it was best not to force the issue with Cole available. The former No. 1 pick is 4-2 with a 3.68 ERA and will start on five days rest. Locke, a New Hampshire native, will travel to New York for the All-Star festivities but will not be available to play. Barring a setback, Locke will make his next start on Sunday, July 21 against the Cincinnati Reds. "The only thing Im disappointed about is not being able to go (Sunday)," Locke said. "Its not one of those things where I cant go (Sunday) but I can go in the All-Star game. I think itd be disrespectful to the team. I dont think its even questionable ... Ill just go there and enjoy it and come back after the break." ' ' '