In the Ropes

A parakeet perched silently in its cage, which was by a street window. Plants were scattered through the office. I counted a total of ten and realized that I had no idea of their species. To me they were -- plants.

I leaned back in my chair and placed my hands on my forehead. My hands were clammy. I was one door away from my dream being fulfilled, and I was pondering my ignorance of plants. I spotted the water cooler approximately twenty feet from where I sat. Realizing my mouth was dry, I made my way to the receptacle and satisfied my need.

Having returned to my chair I glanced at the parakeet. I noticed it was looking in my direction. Could it sense my uneasiness and anxiety?

Another five minutes passed. Was Mr. Lambert intentionally making me wait? I hoped that all my years of preparation, hard work, and dedication would pay off. I took a deep breath, attempting to regain my composure. I didn’t want to jeopardize my chance of a lifetime.

It was at a very early age that I developed a love for wrestling. My brother and I wrestled each other from the time that we were four and five years old. My brother was the oldest, and for quite some time he always had the upper hand.

However, when we reached our teens things changed. I had become the stronger, more aggressive one. I began dominating Mike, my brother, and enjoyed being the one to prevail. I started experimenting with different "holds" and began to develop a technique. I celebrated most when I could make Mike submit from one of my holds.

There was no hatred between my brother and me. In fact, I think that he and I were closer than any other brothers I’ve ever known. We were similar in many ways. For example, we both thrived on competition and staying in shape. Mike enjoyed tennis, golf, and one-on-one basketball. I too enjoyed a good game of one-on-one, and whenever I played my big brother I was always guaranteed a good one.

But for me, my love has always been wrestling. In junior high I only got to wrestle when it was offered in physical education class. But in high school I became part of a wrestling team. I won both the city and state championships for my weight class two consecutive years. Additionally, I was named the outstanding athlete of my graduating class.

The early days of wrestling with Mike greatly benefited me. At the time my parents were not happy, seeing Mike and me constantly at one another. But today I’d bet they realize it was healthy and beneficial for both of us.

There were other similarities between my brother and me. We both enjoyed watching western movies, especially those with John Wayne. We both preferred sixties music over the music played today, and neither one of us drank alcoholic beverages. We could thank dad for that.

Dad had a drinking problem, mainly not knowing when to stop. Too many Saturday evenings we witnessed our dad arrive home intoxicated. Unfortunately, we also witnessed the heartache and worry that it gave our mother. To this day dad still drinks and mother tolerates his behavior, but Mike and I no longer live at home and therefore are no longer subjected to the Saturday Ritual.

A major difference between Mike and me was that he excelled in business and finances. He secured a great job with an accounting firm. Additionally, he invested wisely and lived quite comfortably.