While the Asst. Zookeeper and I don't consider ourselves to be cheap, we also were NOT willing to drop that type of cash for a teenager. We have maintained a budget, whether it was holidays or birthdays - it has never been a "free for all" with the checkbook. The Heathens do not own iPads, etc. If it is deemed needed, that is different. But we differentiate between our needs and our wants in this house and we stick to them - which occasionally leaves an unhappy Heathens.
The Regional PIAA swim meet was held the last Friday and Saturday of February. We originally threw Heathen #1 into a pool at 4 months of age - and we only waited that long because he was born in March and it was an outdoor pool. He's been swimming ever since. He swims like a fish - that doesn't use his tail. He drags his size 14 feet through the water behind him like cinder blocks. If I had a quarter for every time I yelled at him to kick his feet, I would never have paid a swim team fee in the past 8 years. I've paid the fee every year and he continues to drag his feet.
This year, on the first day of the meet, he jokingly asked me if he made podium, if he could have a GoPro camera. He was joking and being silly - but I looked right at him and said, "You make podium and I'll stop at Best Buy on the way home. You won't get anything for your birthday, but I'll buy it today." He was shocked.
Heathen #1 is a good swimmer - mostly by luck. He swims because he enjoys it. If he places, great. If he doesn't place, whatever. Which is a great attitude for the most part - but it occasionally drives me crazy. The Regional swim meet is one of those times.
Let's start by qualifying what it means to "make the podium:"
In a relay event - only the top 3 teams are placed on the podium and receive medals (this Olympics).
In an individual event - the top 6 are placed on the podium.
Because I was only able to attend one of the two days, I stipulated that I wanted photographic evidence of "podium."
He had four chances - 2 relays and 2 individual events. The Heathen boarded the bus with a mission.
First event was a relay - while they dropped time, they only placed 4th = NO PODIUM.
Second event was his 200 free - again, he dropped several seconds, but he only placed 8th = AGAIN, NO PODIUM.
Looking at the next day's events, he was seeded 6th in the 100 back stroke - which is excellent for all of the non-swimmers. He looked at the time for the boy seeded 7th and stated that was the only boy he needed to out swim to make podium as their times were so close.
Saturday came and he headed for Regionals and the Asst. Zookeeper went to watch as I was taking Heathen #3 to a different swim meet several hours away.
Third event - 100 back - he dropped a ton of time - and still only placed 7th = NO PODIUM.
At this point, I'm a three hour drive away and my heart is aching. I knew the Heathen was trying. The Ass. Zookeeper said he swam a fantastic heat - it just wasn't quite enough.'
Last event was a relay - and the team took THIRD = PODIUM for the HEATHEN!
I received the following photos on my phone:
HE MADE PODIUM! And, because it was ridiculously late at that point in the evening, and I was three hours away, I took him to Best Buy the next day to purchase the silly GoPro camera. He might have pushed just a little bit harder for this swim meet because he had a definite goal in sight. He might have made podium without the "carrot" dangling in front of him - we will never know. What I know is that my Heathen earned himself a small piece of recognition as part of a team that he will always remember. And I will always remember receiving this pictures and cheering loudly in a crowded hallway of swimming parents and yelling, "my son just got THIRD place at REGIONALS!" and that they all cheered with me. Well done, Heathen. See what happens when you KICK you feet instead of DRAG them like ANCHORS behind you?
