Commentary: Thank you, World Cup, for providing the connection and inspiration Americans so desperately need

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Set us as preferred “The World Cup is ruining my life,” a neighbor recently said with a laugh.“I’m supposed to be working; instead I’m watching World Cup.

I’m supposed to be doing chores; instead I am watching World Cup.”I laughed in guilty recognition.We had met on the street by chance while I was walking the dog.

Having just spent the last two hours watching, then celebrating Lionel Messi’s hat trick during Argentina’s first-game victory over Algeria, I had less than an hour to get back in time to watch Austria play Jordan.That was on Day 6, and it’s only gotten worse.If I had to calculate my own ratio of work done to soccer watched ...

well, as I am not a sports reporter, I don’t think my editor would be thrilled.(Though I’m sure she appreciated the England/Congo updates I provided as I finished this piece.)Like millions worldwide, my family and I have been deeply, and in our case, weirdly, engrossed in this year’s games.

“Weirdly” because we do not follow men’s soccer.The World Cup is different, of course — going in, I figured I would check out the U.S., keep an eye on Messi, then tune into the final few games.

Perhaps my husband would join (but only if he at least pretended to understand the offside rule), but with our two oldest children out of the house, it is, with the exception of the Super Bowl, unheard of for our family to concurrently view any sporting event in real time.Until this World Cup.

I’m not quite sure how it happened, but suddenly we’ve got game times written onto our calendar.Entire days have been spent in front of the TV with at least one child and the others watching from their homes, our family texts studded with “are you watching…?,” “did you just see that?” and, of course, “OMG MESSI!” (I would attempt to calculate my recent ratio of chores d...