I was watching a bit of the Olympics the other night and I briefly caught a bit of the pairs ice skating. I saw a bad accident. A Chinese pair was skating and he threw the girl up in the air and she did her thing spinning, but landed very badly and bent the knee in an unnatural way. She immediately tried to get up and continue, but realized she was pretty shaken up. The guy came over immediately and held her as they skated off. The music had stopped and they were heading toward the side gate where a trainer looked at her knee. I thought they were finished, but soon she gained the courage to get back on the ice and finish their routine (including another jump, which she landed.)
There are several other stories like this that I have heard that have come out of this year Olympics. I like those acts of courage. To me, I think I’d quit. I don’t know – I guess you don’t know until it happens and then you find out what you are made of.
This reminded me of something that happened a month ago on one of those warm 60 degree January days. I took my boys to Antioch Park and the park has a large playground area. Goose is old enough (3) that he can run around and I can keep an eye on him. My little Turkey is a bit slower paced running around, so I stay next to him.
Turkey was running up and down a ramp incline and I watched Goose about a hundred feet away run up a play structure and jump out and grab a monkey bar. He had never attempted to do monkey bars by himself before. He couldn’t hang on and his momentum cause him to swing forward where he fell about 5 feet on his back. It wasn’t the brand new equipment, so he landed on dirt and old woodchips.
He was in instant pain, and I was far away. I made a couple steps forward to get their quick, but reasoning told me to grab Turkey first. As I ran over, a mother had picked him up but soon I had a hold of Goose. Tears were running down his face and he was crying out loud, but as soon as we sat down on the landing at the other end of the monkey bars, he said he wanted to try again. I was proud of him – for that courage. I like that attitude in my son. In a moment of pain and defeat, to give it one more shot and not give up. I helped him across the bars and then held him again as he was able to cry through the shock and the pain.
Soon he calmed down and we went over to the swings.
3 comments:
Great stories. I watched the Olympics last night for the first time this season.
That's a good quality to have in life. It's too easy to quit if you aren't willing to face your fears/pains.
I've enjoyed catching up on your blog (I'd been truant since the big letter).
Goose and Turkey have a good dad.
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