Dreams
Back in the day, at least my early days, I was pretty athletic. Through 8th grade I played basketball, volleyball for my school St. Stephen Martyr. I was always one of the first to be picked at recess for kickball. This was a big deal if you were a girl! You were allowed to start trying out for teams (that’s right, you had to work for it) in 4th grade and I always made the top team…the “A” team on both sports. I think it would have broken my heart to have been downgraded to a “B” or even a “C” team. Although I was never GREAT at anything, I was better than some at some things. I had a consistent deep underhand volleyball serve that must have had a good spin on it because it’s always been difficult to return. I could handle a basketball pretty well so they always had me at point guard. I even tried out for softball in 4th grade, made the team where they put me at shortstop on the “A” team which means I was a decent fielder with a decent arm. Softball didn’t last long though due to a coach who didn’t care for my rolling of the eyes when she would give advice. I remember her saying, “Roll your eyes one more time and you’re done!” So I walked off the field and never played again….lol. See, my bitch attitude has ALWAYS been a part of me, even at age 9.
One thing I really always sucked at was running. Like for speed. I joined the track team, and I just plain sucked. They tried putting me in relays, in distance, sprints…..suck, suck and more suck. I tried long jumping, but you need speed for that too. Then one day they needed a high jumper. They must have seen my 6 inch vertical and said “Wow! Let’s ask her to jump!”. I’m sure it was out of pure desperation but they did indeed ask me to high jump. And I’m sure like any 12 year old at the time I thought, why the hell not?
Well let me tell you why not…..
I can’t jump! My legs were as skinny as twigs.
The leg I jumped off of (Left) is the knee I have had consistent problems with throughout my life, ending in surgery a couple of years ago.
The school did not have up to date proper equipment.
Anyone out there ever high jumped? The bar that is used (or was back then) is basically round fiberglass with one flat surface that rests on each stand. Nope, not ours. Nope nope nope. OURS was a metal, I repeat METAL, TRIANGLE shaped pole. TRIANGLE. Yes, TRIANGLE. Imagine, if you will, running in a semi-circle up to where you are perpendicular but right next to the bar and launching off one leg KNOWING YOU CANT JUMP and are going to land on your back, on some saggy ass pads, on top of that triangular bar…..digging into your back. Over and over again. I must have looked like a battered child!
It hurt! But I loved it! I SO wanted to get better at it. I don’t know if I wasn’t strong enough, or couldn’t get the mechanics of it down or what. I had a great coach, Sue Massey, that tried so hard with me. Her son jumped competitively, successfully. Granted he was like 6’ in 8th grade.
This song takes me back to that time when we would be blasting Van Halen, rolling with the windows down in her truck from track meet to track meet. When I hear this song I just feel pure contentment. I can feel the sun shining on me and the wind in my hair and I was happy. Just happy. But I did NOT fly higher, higher as the song says…..
I’m pretty sure my highest jump was 4’11” and I got a ribbon for it. Probably still have it along with my only other memory which is this picture where I jumped at an AAU meet in Owensboro. Oh and I think I jumped against my cousin, Kyle, one time in a school meet, he was one year ahead of me and went to a school on the other side of Louisville.
Moral of this story: just because you suck at something doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.
2nd Moral of this story: it sucks when you aren’t a runner and have to run for your job (Army)….do not recommend.
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