A Sporting Life!

You didn't know I've had sports in my life, did you!

Here are the seven "sports" I dabbled in.

1.- I actually never did learn to swim.

But I enjoyed going to the local pool

and watching other people swim.

I even got in and bobbed around so long as

I didn't have to get my face wet!

2.- My cousin Mary Beth and I used to play

badminton on our front lawn.

We made up our own rules.

I just remember that if you returned the birdie

UNDER the net, that was a "hoover"

and counted double.

3.- I had those metal roller skates

you attached to your shoes using

a skate key.

Our sidewalks had lots of bumps and

so did our driveway, so I wasn't able to

get very good at it.

4.- I taught myself to ride a bike.

It was old and it was blue and it had

big fat tires.

I used to make myself a sandwich

and ride out to the cemetery

so I could have lunch on the podium

where the mayor gave a speech

every Memorial Day.

And yes, I brought along a book, too!

At least once or twice, I rode my

bike all the way out to

my father's farm place.

It was about ten miles round trip.

5.- Once I hiked along with my mom

and my cousin Deanna to the top

of Pilot's Knob in Forest City.

It was scary walking next to

Dead Man's Lake!

And, of course, I always walked

to school every day since we only lived

less than two blocks away.

I also always walked to work at the 

Center Cafe for two years

from the age of 16 to 18.

6.- For gym class in high school

we played Girl's Basketball

which was rather stupid, I thought.

Not only that, but we had to wear these

horrible white all-in-one gym uniforms.

You could only play on one half of the court.

Back in the 60's they must have thought

that girls didn't have the stamina

to play on the whole court at once.

7.- I bowled in three leagues one year.

But then I lost a baby and I never bowled again.