I was a lifelong New Yorker until about 16 years ago. And then, I moved on to teach and write and live in New England.

Back in the Big Apple, I had always been a keenly interested onlooker to the rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox. But it wasn't until I was living in the mountains of New Hampshire that I realized, via conversations at the gas pumps, town dump and in the general store just how important "The Rivalry" is...especially to Red Sox Nation.