This is the third time I have been in Nova Scotia in the past 38 years. About 38 years ago, I was here just after having placed in my first national tournament. Within the next couple of years I won several national tournaments. About 27 years ago, I was visiting after just having won several international tournaments, including a couple that were televised which included particularly, shall we say, emphatic, arm bars.I was showing my aunts, who are in their late seventies and early eighties, these patches, and the one says to the other,
"That must be AnnMaria doing the arm bar, right?"
and the other says,
"Yes, I'm sure it is, because the one who grabs the arm usually wins. I'm sure that's right."
"Well, why do they show her with blonde hair?"
"I have no idea. Did she used to have blonde hair?"
"I don't think so. Let's ask her mother. Say --- did AnnMaria ever have blonde hair? No, I didn't think so. AnnMaria -- you need to tell whoever designed this patch for you that they got your hair color wrong. That's a pretty obvious thing. What a silly mistake."
"Um, that's not me. That's my daughter, Ronda."
"Why, so it is! It even says that on the patch. Why on earth would they make a patch of your DAUGHTER doing an arm bar instead of you? That's a really silly mistake. I hope you fired whoever designed these. Did you fire him?"
"Um, no, not exactly, you see -- "
"Well! There's no excuse for such incompetence! I think immediately when you get back to the states you should fire him! Don't you think so?"
At this, she turns to my other aunt for confirmation, who nods emphatically in agreement. I ask politely,
"Do you get a channel called Showtime, by any chance?"
Both aunts shake their heads in unison,
"No, why do you ask? Do you want to watch something on TV?"
That's just awesome... and no, we generally don't get Showtime in Canada. Sucks to be us, I know.
ReplyDeleteHilarious! Guess your relatives are not tracking too closely Ronda's career.
ReplyDeleteWhat a head shaking conversation lol.
ReplyDeleteI admire your journey as a mom, athlete and researcher. You're a inspiration. Don't give up on showing your childrens the right path.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we fight a lot with those we love just because we love them so much and don't want them to commit the same mistakes or pass the same difficulties we have passed. It's difficult for some children to understand this, the best way I have learned as being a child is to sit down with my parents and see their old photos and listen to their jorney. I think that's the beauty of life and what we will carry with us when we pass away, everything else is dust.
Nowadays the world forces us to be always on defensive position, but if we miss our principles we become dry and agressive for no reason at all.
The charge and expectation a person can make over its own sometimes can be harmfull too and contribute a lot with it. I believe Ronda have some internal charges cause you're a inspiration in every way. That's not bad, we need good examples to follow.
Both ronda and sarah kaufman are already winning by itself for being in a place so machist like they are now. That's what matters most, this victory itself deserves to be celebrated.
I wish you, ronda and all your family peace and wonderful days. We may have discussions but our family is everything. Your childrens must be very proud of you as I am, even not being a relative. I recommend you to watch Johnny Depp film Dark Shadows with your childrens, I think it will reinforce the family principle.
Sorry for my poor english.
God bless you.
Dr M
ReplyDeleteYou may appreciate this as someone with social science training. In the service of "Closure" the things people come up with when combined with just a sprinkle of good ole fashioned ignorance and Creativity are such that a great book similar to something Menkin might write could be blogged:
People take the disparate elements of your experience and fill in the blanks such as you describe above and they often create some incredible things. In fact Rhonda might come out a true giant by the time your aunts get a satisfactory picture of her wrenching an arm from an opponent on a patch.
Here is one I am fond of.... (I had moved to San Francisco and my old sick Uncle passed away) his family knew I was a martial artist and that I had lived in a Buddhist monastery, they also knew I was coming to the service....but they were all born agains!! (God help me on that day).
So this is what was described to my parents when they asked if (me) their 25 year old son had come to say goodbye to uncle Mickey.
"Oh yeah I think we saw him!" a nice looking kid with a pony tail, hes a Buddhist, Hey is that Buddha guy related to Jesus? and mikey said he fights in the bars? (I was a Bouncer for the summers, all 170 pounds there of).
Anyhow I still get a great mental picture everytime.... This religious community had painted me a corner of legitimacy and with the application of a few creative details, walla I was a nice kid connected to Jesus with a constructive hobby! Poney tailed protector of Jesus through the Buddha (Jesus Bounty hunter? haha) who expresses himself with a bar fight now and then...... Yeah.