My friend Joe Paprocki is a huge Chicago Blackhawks fan.

"I know it's irrational," he told me one day as we rode the Brown Line together, "I admit that."

His words made me wonder: Isn't irrationality a good thing? We're human, and while we are capable of rational thought, we are just as capable of irrational thoughts and behavior as well. When we admit our irrationality, we accept our humanity. Irrationality allows us to see beauty in things that our rational mind would judge as aesthetically offensive. Irrationality allows us to love something that our rational mind would assess as not worthy of love. Irrationality allows us to use our imagination in tasks that our rational mind would dismiss as a waste of time.

Let me be foolish. Let me be irrational: "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom , and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. ." (1 Corinthians 1:25)

I turned to Joe and said, "You know Joe, irrationality is a good thing."

May we all be irrational now and then.