What does it mean to be a Red Sox fan?

Being a Red Sox fan means belonging to one of the most tightly knit brotherhoods in sports.

Beaing a Red Sox fan means seeing a guy in a Sox hat in a foreign city and greeting him with a smile, realizing that despite your differences, his heart aches just as yours does.

Being a Red Sox fan means that there is baseball at Fenway on Patriots Day. And there might be some sort of race in the city that day, too.

Being a Red Sox fan means engagements, weddings, reunions, and vacations are scheduled for September or November, but never October. Just in case.

Being a Red Sox fan means Thanksgiving dinner is spent breaking down the next season's starting rotation while everyone else watches football in the next room.

Being a Red Sox fan means wanting something so badly it hurts.

Being a Red Sox fan means coming so close you can taste it, only to be told you'll have to wait another year. Again.

Being a Red Sox fan means that despite the drought, you wouldn't trade your Sox memories for all the championships in the world.

Being a Red Sox fan means pouring over message boards like SOSH, spending your lunch break calculating your new shortstop's VORP, talking to fellow Sox bloggers more than your own family.

Being a Red Sox fan means you are passionate about and devoted to a group of 25 men you've never met.

Being a Red Sox fan means "there's always next year."

Being a Red Sox fan means getting chills every time you walk into Fenway.

Being a Red Sox fan means hearing Sweet Caroline will always make you smile.

Being a red Sox fan means loving that dirty water.

Being a Red Sox fan means waking up this morning and realizing that this is next year.

Finally.