Today Menno's girlfriend stayed with us. Menno had to take part in a judo tournament in a Frisian village some 15 miles from here, but we didn't expect much from it because he didn't practice too much, and what we expected turned out to be the terrible truth: he lost all three games and got only the third price in his weight category. Of course he was dsappointed but he had so much on his mind these days: his first communion, horseriding, a theatre play of his school class, his homework, etc. So nobody found it a big deal, except he himself because you take part for winning, don't you after all?
In the evening he already had forgotten all disappointment which makes him a good sportsman, because we had a nice barbecue in the backyard.
Next time a longer text on among other things our proceedings in looking for a sailingboat we want to buy, second hand of course. Sometimes I feel like a millionair, but the cheapest kind. I don't know if a millionair with his yacht in Monaco has more pleasure of it than a modest teachers' family has with a 7-8 meter boat. Nobody who never sailed on the Waddenzee (the piece of sea between the islands North of the Netherlands and the Dutch mainland) with such a boat can tell about the feeling it causes. Number one: constant alertness on tide, wind, current, waves. Number two: a vast emptiness around you only filled with water and sky. Sometimes you sail along a sand bank with seals and gulls. Then you want to flee for low tide and sail into a harbour on the nearest island. Bad luck: the red flag indicates that the harbor is full, you have to stay outside. If your boat is a flat-bottom (no keel, but "side swords" like most ancient Dutch boats have) then it's no big deal, you simply fall dry in the low tide behind your anchor. If you have a keel, the you have a problem, if you don't have enough wood on board to sustain the boat so that it doesn't fall on its side.
2 comments:
I'm sorry Menno did not perform better at the judo match. As you said, he's very active. It must be difficult to keep up with all of his activities. I hope he does better next time.
Like Art for Art's sake, sport or "games" (as is judo) is for the participation. Competing is good and winning some times good too both for confidence and moral but it is the competing that matters!
He seems to be makeing the most of the things life has to offer which is just wonderful.
I hated boxing as a child. Now I loved rugger, football, cricket and tennis but boxing I thought barbaric. Now judo is a much less "bloddy" past time than boxing, I also think it easier to watch your child without worrying about long term damage!
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