Here Comes the Sun By Becca Maples   “Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here. Here comes the sun; here comes the sun, and I say,‘It’s all right.’” --George Harrison Exactly what went through George Harrison’s mind as he wrote the Beatles classic “Here Comes the Sun”? Does the song refer literally to the coming of spring after a long winter? Does it speak metaphorically about optimism in the face of gloom? Perhaps the real beauty of the song is that listeners are intended to insert their own meanings into its lyrics—this time of year seems exceptionally perfect to do just that. No, I’m not talking about the change of weather. I’m talking about the change of season: baseball season. I walked into school on March 31 with a huge smile across my face. It was Opening Day; the day I and so many other baseball fans had been counting down to, had finally come. I sat down in my first class of the day; and as I struggled to find a pen, my 2008 Cardinals pocket schedule fell out of my purse—another reminder that that wonderful time of year had arrived once again. Seven hours and fifteen minutes later, I was seated in front of the television, tuned in to Fox Sports Network Midwest with all thoughts of homework or any other distraction disregarded, finally! How could it be better said? It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter. And it was indeed.  Every summer I wonder what baseball fans do with their spare time when there is no baseball to watch. Further, over the off-season my beloved Cardinals lost a number of personal and fan favorites—Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, and David Eckstein, to name a few. However, there comes a time when the mourning period needs to end, and the best cure for the loss of a favorite player is an exciting new season with equally exciting new players. Luckily, that’s just what the Cardinals have demonstrated so far. After their long, cold winter, they now hold one of the top positions in the NL Central Division with a couple of rising stars—not bad. Not bad at all. The sights and sounds of baseball filled my senses almost overwhelmingly. How long had it been since I’d heard the crack of the bat, the pop of the ball as it hits the pocket of the glove? I, like countless other baseball fans, was forced to gradually reintroduce myself to what, come June, would seem like a daily routine. It feels like years since it’s been here. A couple of innings and one Albert Pujols home run later, I was on top of the world. Unfortunately, my Opening Day high was cut short when the game was postponed due to rain in the third inning. Sad, but at the very least, baseball fans had been given a taste of what was to come for the next six months. Nevertheless, in the next three days the Cardinals managed to win their opening series against the Colorado Rockies two games to one. There’s that sun George Harrison was singing about. The euphoria over baseball’s return is by no means limited only to Cardinals fans—my personal taste is merely clouding my ability to maintain neutrality. On the contrary, baseball fans across the country are rejoicing. After all, it is the great American game, right?  Helias’s own baseball team is back in earnest, having completed a weeklong trip to Florida with an impressive Varsity and Junior Varsity record. Surely there’s a reason baseball is known as America’s favorite pastime; few things make people so collectively happy and bring people together so well. It’s the definitive sign that our long, cold, lonely winter is over. George Harrison really knew what he was talking about.