Best. Show. Ever.
Last night was the greatly anticipated premiere episode of Wipeout (at least for me it was!)
Imagine an american version of MXC, now add Jon Anderson from Sportscenter and Jon Henson from TalkSoup. Take out the awkward dubbing over the Japanese show. Insert a little more dramatic elements. and voila!
Public disclosure: America’s Funniest Home videos is definitely my favorite show on TV purely for the falling and personal injury. It only makes sense that wipeout is an instant favorite.
You can watch last night’s episode online, or wait till the second episode next wednesday at 8.
Laughter is a universal language.
So we’ve got this local minor league baseball team in town. They’re the Red Sox affiliate, so it’d only make sense that we’ve got our own little Fenway nestled in downtown. The dimensions are almost exact. It’s got the Green Monster, Pesky Pole in right field, and 8 dollar cokes. It’s practically like being at the pros. Silly name though. The Greenville Drive. There was a big uppity around here about naming them the Greenville Joe’s after our very own Shoeless Joe Jackson. I was a little biased to that name. Oh well.
All that to say; It’s a pretty cool place to hang out on a Friday night. A $5 general admission ticket and finding a spot on the grassy hill (note the people sitting just to the left of the foul pole above) ain’t a bad way to spend a few hours people watching. That’s where Ashley and I found ourselves sitting last Friday night.
Watch the game, people, back to the game, ‘oh my gah, would you look at that mullet!…”
There were two little boys sitting to our 10 o’clock having a blast. 9 years old maybe. Watching the game, playing with the people that brought them, rolling down the grass. Rooting for the home team if you will.
At some point in the game someone came back with a drink. While one of the boys was leaning over someone taking a sip, some spilled out onto her pants. Not a big deal. Definitely the kind of thing that goes unnoticed except I’m completely ADD and get a little distracted while people watching. There were cute little “oops” smiles all around their camp in that. So much so that Ashley and I couldn’t help but watch and smile. A grandfatherly figure looked at us and said something about “you can’t scold them…..” I couldn’t understand the second part but I nodded my head and smiled.
The game turned a little south for the home team, but not for our new friends. Somewhere between jumping off the fence, somersaulting down the hill, and posing for pictures I realized something. They were speaking Russian to each other. That’s what he said! “You can’t scold them because they only speak Russian” Cool! I wish I could speak another language.
Then I realized something else. No matter where we’re from, or where we’re going, laughter is translated universally. It’s the single most beautiful sound in the world. It relates. It challenges. It inspires. It’s contagious. It’s heartwarming. I’ve no idea what those two little guys were laughing about, but I know what it’s like to loose yourself in laughter. It was a beautiful moment.
When is the last time you’ve laughed? I mean really laughed. Laughed so hard your eyes watered? Laughed so hard your sides hurt? Laughed so hard you cried? So quietly you got caught? So loud it transcended a language barrier?
It’s my firm belief that we should find time to laugh more. Find time to put down the daily grind and flat out laugh. Seriously, why not? It’s good for you! Here’s to hoping.
The 33rd Assault on Mount Mitchell
Without a doubt, the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
103.2 miles. 10.5k feet of vertical ascent. One of the hottest days of the year this far. 9 hrs 2 mins 02 seconds.
A big ole huge congratulations to anyone and everyone who finished, but more specifically Angela and her Dad for whoopin me up that mountain finishing in 8hrs 16mins. They rocked it!
(David at the Finish Line. Notice he’s smiling)
(Angela at the Finish Line)
(Me at the Finish Line)
