Michael's Turn

If you had been watching me at the wrestling match today waiting for Michael's turn, you might have thought, from the way I was concentrating on playing Bejeweled on Todd's cell phone, that I was bored. Au contraire, mon frere. I was frantically trying to withstand the barrage of screaming voices from the crowd, strong young men desperately straining to physically dominate each other, and an atmosphere of intolerable testosterone density.

And I have to say, his team didn't look so good! Lots of pins for and losses to the other two teams. All I wanted was for Michael to do his best. This is his first year wrestling since 4th grade, and we hadn't been able to see him wrestle all year. So here he was, at home, second to last match in the whole shindig. He stepped up to the middle of the mat, shook hands in feigned friendliness, then a second later had grabbed the unfortunate young opponent and turned him on his head. His legs were kicking up in the air! (Too bad I didn't get a picture of that.) After the referee explained to Michael and his coach why he wasn't allowed to do that (something about a full Nelson...) the match resumed.

Michael is in the blue uniform, which is called something I can't remember just now. The pictures tell the tale of the match. Michael won overwhelmingly on points, but he also pinned his opponent! Well done, young man!

Now, anyone who asks me will hear my opinion of wrestling. Okay, so you didn't ask but I'll share anyway. I think that wrestling is the hardest sport for a mother to watch and the best sport for young men to participate. In. It teaches the timid to be brave, the meek to understand physical contact, the weak to strengthen their muscles, the brainy to discover their brawn and loners to become part of a team while still competing individually.

Obviously, it's not going to be a sport in which everyone excels, but it's really worth a season's try. If the mother can stand it. (Shudder.) Keep a video game handy. Or a very good book. Earplugs would be good. Perfume.