Eleven turning twelve year old Todd signed up to play football this year! Day after day, after practice, he would call and discuss the players, the plays, explain the rules, strategies and on and on and on. His Mom, my daughter sent me his schedule. I sent her designs for his locker for each week! I embarked on a noisemaker project to mix it up each week during the season. On a Friday afternoon, he called: "Meme! (may may) Tonight is a scrimmage and Sunday is our first game! You're coming right? We're going to have my birthday dinner after the game and you'll see exactly what I've been telling you about! Make sure you bring your glasses so you don't miss anything! Okay? You are coming early to help decorate my locker, aren't you? I'll call you back after the scrimmage and let you know how we made out and see you Sunday! I love you!" I finally squished a few words in: "Good luck in the scrimmage! I can't wait to see you on Sunday and I have an outfit ready in the Bishop Fenwick colors to wear! Love you too!"
That evening, I attended a testimonial dinner for a Past Commander of our VFW. The dinner was over, dancing began. My phone rang.
"Hi Mom!" My daughter. "Guess what we're doing? I'll tell you, but, promise to not over react." This already had my reaction in overdrive. As calmly as I could muster tranquility, I responded: "Ah, Tiff, you have me. Could you give me a tiny hint and maybe I can run with it?" A sigh: "We're at the Emergency Room of the Hospital. Todd is getting X-Rays as I speak. He hurt his knee. He was knocked down, someone landed on him and here we are." As I began a wind up, she reminded me that I couldn't over react, that he was in pain, that he is upset about an injury and the last thing he needed was a hysterical grandmother. "Here he comes now. They're wheeling him out in a wheel chair. Here, Mom, talk to him while I talk to the doctor."
"Hey Meme! What's up?" So far, so good. "Todd, are you really at the hospital? What happened?" Todd proceeded to seriously, unhappily tell me about the entire knee incident. "And Meme! The first real game is Sunday! I can't even walk!" So the semi-trying to be tough tears, just about flooded cyber space.
"Todd, you do know that football isn't necessarily kind to our family, don't you?" He hesitated and asked: "What? Why not?" I began to tell a true story that I hadn't thought about in a very, very long time.
"Todd, it was my very first year as a baton twirler in high school. I was already the runt - two years younger than everyone in my class and small in comparison. Our uniforms were short, short mini, mini skirts with "tights"...briefs underneath. The majorettes, flag twirlers, band had just finished an opening show for our first football game of the season and headed for the bleachers. Old, worn, wooden bleachers. Grandpa was there to watch. For some reason, I can't remember Nana there. (My parents). Anyway. I was excited and scooted along the bleacher to make room for more band members. I slid along the old wooden bench. OUCH!!! I wound up with a five inch piece of wood in my tush! My tush began bleeding, it swelled up so that my uniform not only got dirty, bloody, but puffed way out as if it was covering a shelf...ME! I was so embarrassed and oh, I was in such pain! As I swelled and bled, some friends ran and told Grandpa that I got hurt! We wound up in an emergency room, the splinter was removed surgically and I had stitches! I couldn't sit for weeks, I was all weird when I stood, walked, marched...ugh! I sat out when we really had to move it and flip our batons. I was so upset because I was healing for most of the season!"
Todd began giggling when I began the set up. By the time he heard the entire story, he was laughing out loud! Tiff and the Doctor asked what was going on. He said: "Mom! This is so funny! Meme got a huge splinter in her tush, surgery, stitches and everything for her first football game! Can you believe it? We both are Football catastrophes!"
If laughter is the best medicine, I guess I'm a healer of sorts. (Although, the knee is dislocated.) "Todd, just think, next year at this time, you'll look back and laugh. When you have a grandson, you will have a good story if he should be sitting in an emergency room." Todd thoughtfully said: "Yeah Meme. I can tell him about when I was what you call me, Mr. Touchdown...or not so much!"
