I learned to play tennis as an adult and for several decades I enjoyed the sport as an active participant. About midway in that run I took an interest in watching professional tennis, mostly via the tube since opportunities to attend a venue in person were limited.
I enjoyed the tv experiences, Court, Borg, Evert, McEnroe, Navratilova, Lendl, Goolagong, Agassi, enough names to give you the idea. Anyway, when the participants started audibly grunting and groaning my interest faded. I thought they were unnecessarily showboating, and the protracted scream following the grunt reinforced my notion.
I have learned something. When I attempt to rise from the ground, or sometimes even from sitting in a chair, my effort is accompanied by an involuntary and quite audible vocal noise. It is due to the effort expended and the pain accompanying same, you see. Thus, I now realize that the tennis players are exerting so much effort that the vocal noise is emitted unbidden.
I never exerted that much effort on the tennis court. Yet were I to return to watching the game on tv, I should have to do it only with full mute. And, of course, there is zero chance that I would ever again step onto the court with racquet in hand.
Son Mark and his wife Patty are tennis instructors, aficionados, rabid fans. Today is their wedding anniversary, 38th I believe. Happy anniversary, Kids.
7 comments:
Unbidden groans are something I understand. Even though that happens when I get up from mopping a floor, I still have to get on my hands and knees every few times to make sure the corners are clean. It really is true that aging turns girls into their moms.
I can relate to your story. Grunts, groans, vocalizations and all.
Vee, I guess it is an exclusive club, membership limited to the elderly. And tennis players.
Chuck, idn't it awful? No, I am blessed to be able to get out of bed in the morning and move through the day, grunts, groans and all.
Ah, Vanilla, you made me smile with this one. Sometimes when I am scrubbing a bathtub my husband will comment about all the "huffing, puffing, and grunting" I am doing. Once he asked me, "Are you hurt?"""
I told him "no" - but I didn't add, I surely will be when I finish with this nonsense. Yeesh - as Art Linkletter always said, "getting old isn't for sissies." Congratulations to your kids on their anniversary!
Marsha, my Beloved Beautiful Better Half quotes that "getting old" line quite often. We are certainly know this first hand now.
I still think they are grandstanding a bit. I'm not a big tennis aficionado.
Sharkey, I am in agreement on the grandstanding issue. In truth, it does seem unnecessary and affected. And unladylike, not that that would bother anyone these days.
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