Grapevine
By Rosalyn Queen
Today I thought I would take a break from the political day to day stories and tune into the Olympics. I guess I am what you might call a fanatic. Other than Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune I watch the news channels all day long. I must admit it is repetitious but I do enjoy the news.
So I am so glad that I can take a break and enjoy the Olympics. The opening ceremony was great and it brought back memories of my visit to Paris several years ago. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triumph and the Louvre were just a few of the landmarks I remember. My memory slipped back in time and I remembered the French language and my classes with Jane Maxwell. Although I am not fluent, I did recognize a lot of the words in the remarks.
Then I decided to browse through the schedule of events and once again I slipped back to my gym classes at Broadway Junior High School. Our gym teacher was Tyson Kishbaugh and in my opinion he really contributed to our being well rounded individuals.
The first six week period of spring we competed and enjoyed learning games that are featured in the Olympics. I remember the long jump and the high jump. I especially like the high jump as we sailed over the stick hoping that the stick did not fall as it was raised inch by inch. On the,long. jump, we ran to the line and tried as hard as we could to make a long land on the mats. We also learned how to race as a team and how to pass off the bar to other members of our relay team. Shot put was another event we participated in as well as pole vaulting. We had a tumbling team which could have been an introduction to gymnastics. Back then girls played on three court basketball. Two guards in the opponents basket, a center in the middle court and two forward’s in our court. A little different but we learned the basics.
So now thanks to Mr. Kishbaugh, I really have a basic understanding of the competitions. For the next ten days, I will be reliving my days at Broadway Jr High. I only wish that these programs were being used in our school systems today. Granted I will not be participating in the Olympics but I am a more rounded person because of my understanding of the events.
I guess I should set the record straight, I will watch a little bit of news over the next ten days.Just a reminder summer is slipping away, so be sure to plan a little get away and remember to get your fresh produce at the Farmers Market.