Sports day.
I'm reminded of another tale from my youth.

It was one of my first sports days at primary school, and consisted of various races over a distance that seemed impossibly long at the time, but in reality was probably only 50 meters or so.

There would be the customary three legged stumble, the classic egg & spoon charge, and, as no sports day is complete without it, the ultra challenging sack race.

Growing up in a tiny wurzel filled village, all our sports were played at the local park, and the entire village would turn up to watch, cheer on their kids or get involved in one way or another.

I had, for reasons unbeknown to me, been entered into the 400 meter race with the bigger kids. At the time 400 meters was like a marathon to me and my miniature pins. It was tantamount to child abuse making me run that far, but I took up the challenge like a coward who couldn't say no, and ran as fast as I could.

Unfortunately, as fast as I could was about half the speed of everyone else. This meant that by the time the rest of the field had crossed the finish line, I was still a couple of hundred meters away. By the time I reached the final straight, the entire village was watching me heroically trying to finish the race and an almighty cheer rose from the gathered masses.

Unfortunately, I didn't quite take the cheer in the nature it was intended and thought they were being mean. Being the timid little thing I was; I ran the last 50 meters with tears streaming down my face. I ran straight to the outstretched arms of my mum and cried my little socks off, refusing to take part in any other sports for the rest of the day.

The memory of an entire village simultaneously congratulating me for running really well, and apologising to me for 'being mean' makes me cringe even now.
( Moey, Fri 28 Nov 2008, 17:10, 2 replies)

aww
bless his little cotton socks
( Damocles wants no part of your debauchery, Fri 28 Nov 2008, 17:20, closed)

oh dear god...
Repressed memory surfacing... You bastard!
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Fri 28 Nov 2008, 21:16, closed)