Tennis and Creative Plans

Image by moerschy from Pixabay 

The U.S. Open in tennis has been sort of interesting this year even after several of the big names didn't come to New York and play because of the virus. You might think this would make for a dull tournament, but it hasn't. Then Novak Djokovoc hit a lines lady and was disqualified. It was a sort of accident because he was mad at himself and swatted the tennis ball in back of him, not realizing the lines lady was standing in that spot. He argued with the officials, but they pointed to the rules book and showed him the exit even if he was No. One. Venus Williams lost in the first round for the first time in her career, and Victoria Azarenka made it along after being out of tennis for the last 4 or 5 years. She had been involved in a bitter custody battle with her son's dad, so that took up more time than tennis. All these tidbits gave the tv people something to discuss rather than the fact that there were no fans.

I played tennis from the time I was 12 until after college(no comments about what I would look like on a tennis court today). In the summer we could get the North Texas courts to ourselves because it was so darn hot that no one else was playing. My friends and I would strike out about 1:00 and play for 2 or 3 hours, never thinking that it wasn't the best time to be in the blazing sun. And I was even on the tennis team at DHS my senior year because they needed a body to fill out the players, not because I was a spectacular player. I won a few matches and lost a few and had a good time. When I started North Texas, I had to have 4 credits in p.e., so I looked at the schedule and saw Beginning Tennis at a perfect time. Aha, I thought. It will be a super easy "A" because I can already play. So I registered, went to the first two classes, and forgot to kind of hide the fact that I wasn't a beginner. At the third class the teacher came over and said, "Listen, 15120(my college number), you aren't a beginner, so I should make you drop the class and pick up something else." My heart sank because the class period time was so good. But then she said, "However, I have something that will benefit us both. Stay in the class but act as my assistant and help with the groups who have never played on a tennis court. And after class is over, play a couple of games with me to keep me in shape." Holy tennis ball, that was perfect. So I did just that, helped her, and got my "A" for the class. Then as registration was beginning for the spring, she said, "Sign up for Intermediate Tennis. They'll still be people who need help, and the classes are always big. We'll work the same arrangement." It was exactly the time I needed and the activity I liked--couldn't be better.

Sometimes interesting ideas come when you least expect them. At Wilson we were always trying to raise money for something because there was nothing in the budget for extra things. The juniors and seniors had the bulk of fund raising and were getting ready for the Junior-Senior Prom(which turned into the Junior-Senior Banquet)and all sorts of other things. There were some traditional ways to raise money, but sometimes you just were at the end of any ways to get enough . Someone came to me and said, " A friend of mine at another school said they raised a ton of money with a Cow Patty Bingo." Had no idea what that was. Seems you sell tickets to people with the thought that on a certain day, an area will be marked off in squares, a pleasant cow will be fed and then brought to the squares, and wherever the cow gives a deposit will be the number that wins money. The sellers take off a percentage of the tickets sold, and the amount left is still a nice chunk of change. We had never done anything like that and didn't know how it would go over. The tickets weren't expensive, but we would have to sell to more than just the students or their families. So we got permission to hold the event and began the sales. Before long, we realized that everybody in Wilson wanted to be in on it and even some absentee buyers. Students were coming back and saying, "I need more tickets!" It was by far the biggest fund raiser we had ever had, and the prize money was very good.The morning came, and the parking lot was marked off in big squares, and Elsie(or Daisy or whatever her name was)was given a double portion of feed before being brought to the lot and put inside the fence. A crowd had gathered, and people were pleading with her to land her lunch on the square they had bought. Finally, she did, and there was a sigh from the large crowd because they hadn't been winners. But here's the even more interesting thing. The man who had the winning square sent the sweetest letter to the school and said, "I have never had so much fun in my life as I watched  my  neighbors  begging a cow to poop.Grown men were sweet-talking this animal and getting excited if she made the slightest strain before moving to another square. I wouldn't trade this afternoon for anything, and I am giving my winnings to the school for use in the project they were planning." Wilson people were and will always be like that.

You can go through life and never change anything, or you can be willing to have new experiences. Playing a game or enjoying things that are simple never go out of style.