I Am Not An Athlete

I hated gym class or as it is now called P.E.........

I have no athletic ability.  I hated having to take the Presidential Physical Fitness Test.....there was no way I could pass it.  Pull ups, push ups, sit ups......all made me feel down.  Running a mile....in I don't how long....not.

I did not grow up in a family of athletes.  My brothers played little league.  My sister was a cheerleader. Mom and Dad played golf in their 40's. OK maybe it was just me....

When I am in the pool at the gym and jogging for about an hour in the water....I feel like an athlete.  When I am on the elliptical for a few miles....... I feel like I am an athlete. But there is no medal or trophy or ribbon with my name on it.  I was always afraid to try .....fear of looking foolish....... or failure..... my solution was to not try.

OK there was one sport I loved from day 1.....skiing.  From the first time I got on skis I felt like a natural!!!!! I did a fair amount of skiing in my 20's.  Not that I was great  but I was OK at it and I enjoyed every minute.  One of the first times I went skiing I was on a date.  The guy I was with was a good skier.  I told him to go up to the slopes he enjoyed and I would hang around on the "bunny hill".  Off he went and I went for a lesson and did the little hills.  After a while I got bored and decided I would go to an intermediate slope.  First, I had to get on the chair lift.  As I was riding up the hill I saw signs that made me think what I was doing was not too smart.  DANGER LIFT SKI'S!!!!  THE LIFT DOES NOT STOP!!!  I turned to the guy sitting next to me and said "Why isn't the lift stopping to let people off?" He said, "You ski off."  I said "Who skis off?"  Before I knew it we were at the top of the hill. I skied off and fell flat on my face!!! They had to stop the lift so I could get up and ski away.....UGH.....then I fell and fell and fell.  I felt like I was on top of a huge mountain.  Each time I would fall some little kid would go skiing by me.  Finally, when I hit the big curve heading down the last hill I could see my date waiting for me at the bottom.  I didn't fall once!!! When I met him at the bottom he told me how great I looked coming down the hill.  He should only know!!! We did go skiing many more times together.  Each time I got better and better.  I haven't been on ski's in years but still remember the rush I felt going down the hills.

The only other sports I participated in was watching them.......baseball, football and some basketball.  I watched Jenn swim in swim meets.  I am an arm chair quarterback.  I was raised on the names Y. A. Title, Sam Huff, Mickey Mantle........and some of my personal favorites Reggie Jackson, Phil Simms, L.T.......now Eli and Derek.  In our house the Giants and Yankees rule......they did in my Dad's house and they do in mine......

I guess the fact that it is Super Bowl Sunday made me think about sports and athletes......no World Series for the Yankees last year and no Super Bowl for my Big Blue this year.......but that's OK......the pitchers and catchers report in just a few short weeks.  Before you know it the football mini-camps will begin and my newest love college football will be back.  My dream year......World Series Yankees.......Super Bowl Giants.....SEC AND National Championship Gamecocks!!!!!

Hey I can dream can't I??? Like when I close my eyes and can feel the snow beneath my ski's and the wind against my face as I moved down the hills in my memories........