Last night I took part of US Soccer history by being in attendance alongside 68,000 other fans at FedEx Field for the USA versus Brazil match; it was the highest recorded attendance for the sport of soccer in United States history. Despite the fact that Brazil essentially crushed the US, the game captured the spirit of human solidarity in a way that brought chills to my body. The stadium itself was split between fans cheering for both sides, but when the US snagged a beautiful header goal, the entire stadium erupted. I’ve been in FedEx Field for a lot of events — Redskins games, U2 concert and other special events — and nothing I have ever heard in the stadium compares to how the crowd shook when the US scored.
Simply put, it was incredible. It was a pure explosion of patriotism and solidarity among strangers. It reminded me of how giant and wonderful the world really is and of the unmatchable depth that lies within the human spirit. As just one number in the echoes of an enormous crowd, it was a beautiful thing to feel small and humbled by the greatness of the world around me. Such experiences light me up; I realize that I have a lot of love to give and that there are millions of people who need love and who deserve to feel the same indescribable feeling of tangible solidarity the way I felt it after the US goal.
The world needs us all. There are a lot of negative voices out there, but, take it from my experience last night, the sound of thousands of positive voices combined is a force to be reckoned with and a force that will inspire millions of others. Join me in being a positive voice and let’s create change so powerful that it’s impossible to ignore.