Rounding Up - Track, general hustling, and saying "yes"
How often do you get to say, “my wife had to head to the Somali region for a one-day work meeting”? In my case, just once. Yesterday. And I’m happy to say that Sarah made it home safe and sound from Jigjiga, the capital of the Somali regional state of Ethiopia, near the border with Somalia. I suspect she’ll have more to offer about that trip’s insights and her down-to-the-wire wild ride to the airport before heading back to Addis. Please check back for that - I’m as anxious as you are for more of her impressions of that volatile region.
I’ve been digging quite a bit deeper into a few of my larger pursuits since last week’s update. I will give y’all a taste of my Ethio-Jazz explorations soon, in addition to my first peek into Ethiopia’s complicated garment manufacturing landscape. Rather than deal in half measures, I’ll just offer those teasers for now. No matter where things get published in the larger form, I promise you’ll see it here first.
Our weekly Round Up…slightly delayed from the habit forming over the past few Mondays…must start with how Maya finished up her track season. You can see a few pics below, including a few action shots borrowed from the official Facebook photo feed of her final meet. It was a special treat to watch Maya compete through the mic drop of a satisfying season. The demands of her school schedule haven’t allowed for any posting here. I’m still pushing, and it’ll happen. Obviously, Gen Z cares less about the priority of blogging than us long-winded Gen Xers.
So rather than lose what happened in her first sports season of the year, we sat down in between homework assignments and Instagram meme-viewing to do Our First Sporty Season Recap Q and A. (lightly-edited for clarity/laughs):
Question: What was your favorite event (in Track and Field)? Least favorite?
Answer: My favorite changed. It was definitely the javelin at the beginning of the season. Throwing the javelin just feels satisfying. But after ISSEA (the Uganda meet), it became the triple jump. And I got my triple jump PR (personal record) at ISSAA (the final meet last Thursday through Saturday). Least favorite is easy. Shot put. I don’t have the body or the strength for it. It just never made me happy.
Q: What was your goal for Track and did you reach it?
A: I wanted to compete at ISSEA (the equivalent of making Varsity in the U.S.). Getting to travel and compete there was a cool experience. Especially as a 9th grader. That meet and really connecting with a whole new group of people. So, yes, I made my goals.
Q: What sucked? What ruled?
A: The beginning (of the season) right after tryouts sucked. I didn’t really get to even compete for the sprinting events I did back home. And I didn’t really have any friends on the team. But ISSEA ruled. There was such great energy there. It was an amazing feeling, everyone is so supportive, and you get to know people from all over.
Q: Let’s compare your experience with some Wisconsin (my home American state) sports legends. Who do you think you’re more like - Brett Favre (American football Green Bay Packers retired quarterback) or Giannis Antetokounmpo (the beautifully-nicknamed “Greek Freak” and the Milwaukee Bucks’s all-purpose phenom and NBA 2019 MVP)?
A: Um…why?
Q: OK, same question - Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers current quarterback) or Christian Yellich (Milwaukee Brewers current right fielder and 2018 Major League Baseball MVP)?
A: Which one is Yellich again? Whatever. Probably Aaron Rodgers.
Q: Better. Same question - The Incredible Hulk or Spiderman?
A: Spiderman.
Q: Will you throw the javelin back in America?
A: If it’s legal, maybe.
Q: What do people not understand about throwing events?
A: They’re probably seen as easy events, or not as athletic. But you are building muscles that you might not expect are needed otherwise. Coach Elias would have us hold our javelin pose for like a minute in a really painful position that you wouldn’t think was involved. Except that it was. (Throwing events) take skill and technique and you have to focus on so many things. It’s not just a matter of chucking it.
Q: If the triple jump pit could be filled with anything, what would you choose?
A: Maybe those colorful balls from indoor playgrounds. Or foam like in that gymnastics place back in Seattle.
Q: Not pudding or something delicious?
A: No. That’s gross. Next question.
Q: Did you have a fight song? Or if not, what would you choose for your fight song?
A: Not really. Although “Be Honest” by Jorja Smith and Burna Boy was pretty much the song of the season. I’ll always think of track when I hear that song.
Q: How do you know you’ve thrown/jumped really well?
A: You just know. It’s a feeling. You say to yourself, “that one just really clicked.”
Q: Will any of these events help you in real life?
A: What, like if I have to hit someone with a spear?
Q: Or what if you’re trying to escape from someone - can’t you see doing a triple jump, just to throw them off?
A: I probably wouldn’t just hop away from someone. Are we done yet, Dad?
Q: Do you want to be done?
A: …
Q: Mmmkay. I think we’re done.
I should note that there’s no rest for the motivated and sporty. Rugby tryouts for Maya are tomorrow at ICS. So the next Season’s practices will start super soon. Which just amplifies the realization that we’re on the cusp of more transitions. Hard to believe we’re almost halfway through her first semester of the school year.
