A self-iindulgent, ruminative thread that's all about me, from syllable #1.

[Alan H]

I don't really keep up with mobs of people from my High School, so it could be that some of the football and basketball stars of 1975 from CHS are doing really cool sports stuff. I kind of doubt it, but of course it's possible. Then again, maybe I was "supposed" to outgrow this "sports" stuff and move on to more mature pursuits like being a cutthroat businessman or enjoying "fine dining" or something. Eh? Whatever the case, sometimes what follows, here, runs through my head.

I was the "fat kid" in elementary and Jr Hi. I well remember the sensation of a "stitch in my side" when I tried to run more than half a mile. I couldn't do it. That kind of ended in HS, when I leaned out with the hormone changes at puberty and got more active. In addition to doing a lot of music I also wrestled and threw discus and ran hurdles on the track team. I was a bad discus thrower and an utterly pathetic hurdler. As a wrestler I was OK, maybe average. Maybe. Mostly, I was just big and I was on the varsity team because there wasn't anybody else on the team my Jr and Sr. year that was 190+ pounds. I won some matches, and I lost some matches. It was a good experience and I'm glad I did it. However, all the "real" athletic guys played football and basketball....mostly football. I never did.

Now, it's 40 years later. The glory days of being 17 and on the High School football team are long gone. Those guys had those days and those experiences, being the cool jock on campus, that I didn't have. They have memories from their young years that I don't have. They wore the lettermans jersey and everybody "knew"...just like I wore mine from Track season my Jr. year and I expect everybody "knew" it was kind of bogus. They were the stars of the pep rallys, and so on. My memories are mostly from the band room, with some from the wrestling room. There were no pep rallys, and I played in the stands for Pep Band during the basketball season, while the "jocks" were out playing, being the center of attention.

But now, it's me out on that field, in that kilt, sweating down my t-shirt in the sun. It's me in the weight room, deadlifting and squatting big. It's me out on the field and throwing heavy sh** around, and the people in the stands actually pay real money to come see me do my thing....and of course to see the sheepdogs too. Let's not get unrealistic, here. I'm about as big a money draw as a sheepdog. It's me that the women look at, sideways a bit with that little smile, when I and my mates walk from the Games field to get a beer. It's me that the 27 year old girls flirt with, just like today at the Med School Cafe, because I have my kilt on.

...Not the studs of 1975 high school football.

The amazing thing is that I'm by no means any great champion, I mean, there are lots of guys my age who are way better than I am at this stuff. But hot damn, I'm actually pretty good at it. I'm doing it. But those guys from the football pep rallys in the gym in 1975? ---- they're not doing it. Or if they are, they're not letting on. I read about a lot of "fine dining" and surgeries, these days. And cars, from the 70's. And complaining about how things were so much better back then.

Jock-wise, I guess I'm peaking at age 57. I'm OK with that.

[Geoff Withnell]

Hey, are you bragging, or complaining? The kilt, (and I must admit working out) is remarkable in its restorative properties. I've been training to throw for a while now, and had some injury setbacks. That said, it's kinda cool at 65 (beat you by 8 years - HA!) to have a sweet young thing tell me at a charity 5K "You have AWESOME calves" with a smile and twinkle in her eye. I like going into the gym, and realizing that I'm pushing more iron, harder, than a lot of the younger guys. Remember. age and treachery will beat youth and enthusiasm every time.

[Alan H]

I think I'm just "observing"...

[okiwen]

The CHS you refer to, is that Carlsbad High School??!

I wish that I had the time to do the highland games. You guys are awesome. I seem to spend the time I have doing Jiu Jitsu and piping and generally chasing my own tail. Hats off to all the highland athletes.

[MrLion]

Bravo, Alan! Life is good. Thanks for sharing YOUR enjoyment of it.

[Elizabeth]

I enjoyed reading this and have enjoyed watching you shyly from the sidelines. This year I will introduce myself I promise. You look pretty dang good to someone in your age group as well!

[SeumasA]

"...someone in your age group...."
That sounds like when I go to the doctor and he says, "I'm starting to see.......but that's normal for someone your age." This coming from someone who looks younger than my kids.