hurdles...

When the Olympics began a week ago this past Friday, I was with Little Leighton (aka LL aka Biscuit) at her casa. I brought her home with me a week ago Sunday and she stayed with us (me and My Sweet Hubby aka MSH) for three nights. While she’s here, I very seldom watch television. Well, other than Disney Jr. or PBS—Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and/or Sesame Street. Biscuit quit taking naps a year ago. So…we go, go, GO. All. Day. Long.

Once LL's out for the night, which is usually by 8:00, I shower and do what I need to do in the kitchen or laundry room. I might watch a little television. Something I’ve recorded on the DVR. I don’t last much longer than thirty minutes. If that long!

So I actually forgot about The Olympics. It was this past Friday before I remembered to check them out! The first event up, once I turned to the right channel? Beach Volleyball. I have nothing against beach volleyball. Truly. I do think it’s an itsy-bitsy-bit boring to watch. I’m sure if you love regular/normal volleyball—you probably like beach, too. This was the women. I tried to imagine myself jumping around—in the sand—with very few clothes on. It was a horrifying thought. When I was in my late teens and early 20s, I was actually pretty tiny. I’m quite certain I wouldn’t have wanted to do this sport even back then. Also, as I’ve shared in the past, I don’t like balls coming at me! (This, I believe, is the direct result of the utterly STUPID game of Dodge Ball. Whose DUMB idea was that???) I especially do NOT like big balls—like volleyballs. Basketballs. Rather than watch beach volleyball until another event started, I found something I’d recorded and gave up, rather quickly, on The Olympics.

I’ve been watching these amazing games every night since Saturday. For two to four hours. I cannot imagine the dedication these athletes develop. I’ve never been dedicated to anything like they are to their sport. Well, maybe marriage. And motherhood. I suppose. Certainly not studying in high school or college. (Graduate school? Which I started when I was 43? And which took me three years to complete? Yes. Yes, I was quite dedicated to my Master’s degree. I needed to be! I was missing some of TLC’s junior high and high school experiences. I had to make her and MSH proud of me!) I’ve certainly never been that determined to learn how to cook. Or to clean my house. Or to lose weight. Sigh.

The Summer and Winter Olympic athletes come very close to making me ashamed of myself. People who play instruments professionally can make me feel that way. Dancers. Singers. Doctors. Anyone who devotes an incredible amount of time, energy and loyalty to their interests or profession can shame me into feeling like a big, lazy slug.

Gymnasts? WOW. Ice skaters/dancers? I couldn’t even make my ankles stand up and work the first and only time I tried to ice skate. Well over forty years ago. Snow skiers? Skiing scares me to death. Literally.  Platform Divers? No way would I ever have even thought of diving off a high diving board. (I did always love to swim. I wasn’t good in any stretch of anyone's imagination. I did like it. Until I no longer wanted to wear a bathing suit in public. That occurred about ten years ago. It's simply not a pretty sight.) Runners? Having asthma as a child and teenager, I’ve never had the lungs or muscles to become an even adequately, semi-good runner. I don’t even jog. (TLC forbids it if she’s around and she's fearful someone might see me doing it. She completely forbids it. I try not to take it personally.)

But the hurdles. The hurdles make me shiver. I have the hardest time watching people run—as fast as they can—only to be required to jump over those dadgum hurdles. I could hyperventilate just typing about this event.

I’ve had my share of hurdles in my sixty-two years on this Earth. As you have. As we all have. I don’t need to have actual hurdles, that someone wants me to jump over, taunting me. Frightening the you-know-what out of me. No. NO WAY. Not now. NOT EVER.

Do I respect the people—young men and women—in junior high, high school, college and the Olympics—that participate in this event? You cannot even imagine how much I respect them. Do I want to watch them? No. Please, PLEASE don’t make me watch the hurdles. I’d rather watch beach volleyball.

Let’s all think of something we could be determined to conquer this week—and then DO IT. In honor of the SUPER HUMAN women and men competing in Rio right now. Competing while we watch television, look at Facebook, check Twitter. Eat junk. Sleep. Waste endless minutes and hours on mindless things. Let’s set a goal and make it happen for The Olympians! (It does NOT have to be a huge goal. Even a tiny one will do!)

Have a Wonderful Week, Sweet Friends—wherever in the World Y’all are!