The best things in life are often taken for granted: Mom's home cooked meals, children's laughter, and that old worn-out Lazy-Boy recliner.  Then there is the privilege of sitting down in your living room with a bunch of friends, turning on the television, and switching the channel from Speed to ABC for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race and no one in the room can predict which driver will cross the finish line first.

Anyone who persevered through last season knows that this was not the case in 2007. 

However, the start of the 2008 season has brought back that loving feeling for many race fans and the ratings are proof positive.  The off weekend made Sunday feel like a weekday, as I found myself missing the roar of engines during the afternoon.  I recall looking forward to weeks off last season as I used them to rebuild hope that a Ford or even a Dodge could be in victory lane.

Look what a little parity can do.

Like many other race fans, each Sunday my family and friends gather at my house to watch the race and catch up on how life is treating each of us.  The conversation typically surrounds our jobs, children, the economy, and illegal spoilers.  When compared to last season, my friends and I have enjoyed more light-hearted gatherings. We have yet to slap each other in the back of the head for undesirable commentary and no one has thrown a handful of M & M's at the television.  My neighbors have yet to hear obscene shouting during the last lap and my dear friend Steve even stays until the end of the race.

Do not assume that parity only benefits race teams and sponsors.  Variety is the spice of life that spreads across America, allowing families and friends to remember why they gather around a television on Sunday afternoon.