Track Meet

The North Carolina State Track Meet finals were held in Greensboro last Sunday morning, after being postponed because of thunderstorms on Friday.  Our friends, Bill and Pam, had three granddaughters running.  I just had to be there to watch and support them.

Madie and Megan were both running in the 4 by 800 relay.  Each girl had to run 800 meters, twice around the track, and hand the baton to the next runner.  The race started poorly for Chapel Hill.  Our first runner was at least 75 yards behind.  Madie ran the second leg and closed the gap, but it was still considerable.  I didn’t think we had much chance of winning.  Our runner for the third leg blistered the track, catching up with the lead runner.  Megan took over and lengthen our lead and easily won.  The announcer yelled, “It’s a new state meet record.”  Wow.

When I was a freshman in high school, I qualified for the State Track Meet in Florida as a high jumper.  I was talking to Brad, Bill and Pam’s son, and remembered he also was a high jumper.  Bill asked me how high I jumped and I told him 6’ 2”.  I then asked Brad how high he jumped.  His answer put me in my place - 6’10”.  But did he do it during his freshman year in high school?

I felt overheated in the sunshine and decided to return home, rather than stay for the afternoon events.  Later that afternoon, Bill called to tell me Megan had won the individual 800-meter race and set a new state meet record.  Another granddaughter, Janey, Brad and Marcie’s daughter, came in third in the 300-meter hurdles.

What an amazing day for Bill and Pam and their family!  And I got to be part of it and saw my first track meet since high school. 

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Tarzan

When I was six or seven years old, my parents took my brother (five years older than me) to Ocala to see a Tarzan movie.  But I never made it.  My mother took me to our grandparents because she thought a Tarzan movie was too violent for me.  I pitched a fit, but it didn’t work.  Returning to Citra later in the day, my brother described the movie and told me parts of it were filmed in Silver Springs, right outside Ocala.

A couple of years later, I did see a Tarzan movie and was thrilled, especially as Tarzan raced through the treetops using vines to move from tree to tree.  Of course, I tried to mimic Tarzan using thick grapevines hanging from trees in the woods near our home.  Fortunately, I learned, with just bruises, not broken bones, that the vines didn’t work for me.

When I was a teenager, I read all the Tarzan books.  The first one was the best, “Tarzan, The Ape Man” that told the story of Tarzan’s parents and how the ape took his mother’s place after she died.  I especially liked it when he returned to the cabin of his parents, found books and taught himself to read.

Last week, the Turner Movie Classics channel had Tarzan movies on non-stop for two days.  I recorded them all and began to watch at least two of them every night.  The first couple of movies were great, but then I became tired of them.  Many of the animal scenes were repeated in several movies, and not as good as the Discovery Channel.  The stories were predictable.  But Cheetah was the star in every movie.

I guess I can’t recapture the thrill of my childhood obsession with Tarzan.  Fortunately at the age of 80, I have no desire to swing through the tops of trees.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Corolla - Twenty-five Years

Twenty-five years ago, a group of friends at St.Therese Catholic Church in Mooresville, North Carolina decided to go to Corolla on the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a vacation.  Last week, 26 friends, most from the original group plus a few who joined later, enjoyed perfect weather to celebrate their twenty-fifth year of friendship, love and laughter.

Aloma and I joined the group a couple of years after the first vacation and have enjoyed the group without missing a single year.  This year, two large oceanfront houses were filled to the brim.  We had a celebration luncheon and gave thanks each night in our prayers for our friends and our special vacation in Corolla.

There are some differences between now and 25 years ago.  We were in our 40’s and 50’s back then.  We played tennis daily from early morning to mid-afternoon.  We took long bike rides and walked for miles on the beach and even had a golf tournament.  Card games lasted until late at night. Now we are in our 60’s and 70’s and three of us are in our 80’s.  While there were a few tennis matches, walks on the beach, short bike rides and a miniature golf tournament, most of us sat and talked with each other, enjoyed the view of the ocean and read books.  Even without the activities, the week at Corolla gets better every year.

Every day, I spent some time in an alcove where I could read, relax and use my laptop.  When the women would work on a meal, I noticed the laughter and talk; the sound was the same as 25 years ago - definitely as loud.

So, what’s in our future?  We’ve already lost two husbands who have passed on.  How many more years will we be able to make the car trip from Mooresville, the Raleigh area, Georgia and Kentucky to the Outer Banks?  Aloma and I plan to be at Corolla every year that we’re able.  Others said the same.  Special thanks to Pam and Bill for organizing the trips over the years.

When I was in the hospital recovering from my accident, I looked ahead for a reason to heal.  Looking forward to Corolla was one of them - and this year more than met my expectations.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com