Sunday, January 11, 2009

When Did It Become Uncool To Read?

So I'm dissappointed with my town. This weekend my son and myself traveled to a nearby community for a wrestling tournament. This story goes beyond reading but I have been hearing on another blog how well mannered children around here are so I think I will delve deeper into this. If you have ever been to a tournament then you know there is a lot of in between time. Your kid wrestles a three minute match then waits anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours before getting their next three minutes. Makes for a very long and boring day. Sure I always take something to read and something to write in to pass the time and I notice my son has followed suit. This week it was "The Tale of Beetle and Bard" which he finnished 56 pages of while we sat in the tiny packed gym for nearly 7 hours. Here is how his day unfolded. First he gets punched, kicked, tickled, poked, prodded, wet willied, and wedgied for about an hour before I finally have to put my foot down and yell at kids that weren't mine. Mind you me telling them to leave him alone 5 times wasn't enough, their parents all were within 5 feet of me ignoring their little angels. The parents did however vocalize that I am not allowed to yell at their children once the tears caused by this big mean guy began. (I'm the bad guy yet one of there children barely 2 years old was wandering the parking lot in search of his mother who was inside deciding if she wanted another cigarette or frito chili pie). The next logical step was for them to begin rifling through my boys stuff and steal his snacks. No they wouldn't accept when he offered it to share with them. Apparently Slim Jims and gatoraid taste better if aquired in abundance through theft. So here he sits next to me, robbed blind when I'd gone to the restroom yet still trying to act right. By right I mean like a decent human being and not the savages that had been accosting him. Once I was back the kids decide not to test me so they just walk by making wise about how he is a nerd, calling him girls names and throwing the trash from the snacks they had stolen from him at him. Sweet sweet little angels. Where do they learn this behavior? I'd like to say from home but I have a serious feeling their parents have never taught them a damn thing. So the week prior at practice my son had forgot his singlet so he decided to wear sweats and the basketball jersey he had worn to school. Once at practice though he was forced to remove his "girl ball" shirt in place for a heavy sweater because apparenty basketball isn't allowed on the wrestling mats. The coaches then procede to call him by girls names embarassing him in front of all his "friends" throughout practice. He was upset when I arrived (parents aren't allowed in the room during practice now I know why). I told him not to worry because next year he can play basketball, I will coach, and if he gets good enough then after college he can make millions in the NBA. When asked what wrestlers do after college I informed him they apparently lose their hair, put on a couple hundred pounds, move back to their home towns, and pick on 8 year olds to feel better about themselves. He had already made up his mind not to wrestle next year but the result of our conversation has been a basketball bouncing in my home all week.
Quote from a mother at the tournament, "Wow I don't think I've ever read that big a book!" "The Tale of Beetle and Bard" might be 200 pages. Sad!

Moral of my story? Read up kids, and parents sit with them and help them learn. Otherwise one day a judge (possibly my son) will be having to read their little ignorant asses the charges against them.



Oh yeah even with the love of "girl ball" and reading he still medaled. A kid from Winfield and another from Coffeyville sat with him discussing technique for the last hour of the tournament, and he is almost ready to write a book report on the cardboard and paper my own town doesn't understand. They are right though, what a useless skill an 8 year old reading at a fifth grade level. Little fucking angels!


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