Thelma and Louise - taking to the road

  

Meet Thelma and Louise. 

Thelma has been with me for several years now and we have a comfortable relationship.  We have seen a lot of things together and have gone through many ups and downs along the way. Thelma has a comfortable seat and shock absorbers which makes her a superstar on the beat up back roads where we live. Her low crossbar is ideal for those of us who can't lift their legs as high as they used to.  I can sit up a little straighter and this allows my gaze to wander.  When I go out on Thelma we generally go at a slower pace.  She has a rat trap, saddle bags and a handlebar bag, lots of room for carrying groceries, snacks, Kleenex and of course, my camera.  She likes STOP signs as they are always an opportunity to have a drink, to look at all that is around us and to just generally stop and smell the roses.  We travel on gravel paths, paved roads and everything in between.  She loves our country roads but has just as much fun cruising around Stanley Park and is at her best when we attach her to the back of the truck and hit the road.  Thelma loves selfies and is oh-so-patient when I am in a picture-taking mood.

Louise is the new ride in town.  We are still getting to know each other.  She pushes me beyond my comfort zone (in every sense of the word :) ). When we get to a stop sign she yells at me to pick it up, there's no time for slacking.  She has no interest in the scenery around her and this is obvious from her design.  Head down low and legs a-pumping.  Louise is all about covering ground as she can feel that extra load on her oh-so-hard seat and notices the folds in her bent over rider.  She wants me to fly over the bumps as quickly as I can because she is not built for these pot-holy back roads.  Every bump jars her frame and runs up my tailbone through to my shoulders.  Speaking of shoulders. . . she's letting me know that they need some work.  Thelma might be okay with me sitting up and taking it easy but Louise is bent on getting me into shape.  As I said earlier, we are still feeling our way around each other.  I bought Louise as I wanted to do a larger group ride later this year.  Thelma does not qualify for road riding - she is built for a slower pace so Louise and I are spending some time getting me into shape.  She won't tolerate stops for photo ops and has no place to store a camera so you won't see her often and she is okay with that.

Thelma and Louise are keeping my life in perfect balance.  Thelma appeals to that slower, more creative side that is in me but I have to say, Louise is rekindling some of that competitive spirit that is buried (okay, not too deeply) within me.  It didn't take much for her to bring it to the surface.  Can't wait to see where we go together.

Here's to the Pack

"To every girl coming up in the Pack with a dream to do something that doesn't yet even exist: We believe in you to accomplish what we can't even yet imagine.  Your Pack is with you.  And history awaits you."  ~Abby Wambach

On February 2, 2020, Tim Busse, brother-in-law of my long time friend and outstanding athlete, Marj Busse, reposted Abby Wambach's congratulations to Christine Sinclair on her record-breaking goal.  No small achievement for this Canadian athlete who set a new record for the most goals in international women's soccer.

There were so many things I loved about this post. First, I love that it was posted by a guy! I also love that Tim tagged his wife, his sisters and his mother and that Marj was a part of this.  These are all strong women who obviously live with men who are not intimidated by their strength. These women, especially his sisters and mother, grew up in a time when women's sport wasn't always embraced by society in general.  And, of course, those of us growing up in the day heard the phrase, "You throw like a girl!" more than once - and it wasn't used as a compliment.

When I think of growing up I am so grateful for having a father who not only allowed me (yes, 'allowed' - I had friends whose parents did not let them participate in 'vigorous' sports) but actively encouraged and supported me.  My dad was my first coach.  I remember our first softball practices when we were around 6 & 7 years old and didn't want to wear our gloves on our left hand.  We never really used this hand for anything and so couldn't imagine ever actually catching a ball with it.  My dad wasn't always patient, but on the ball field with a bunch of little girls, he was amazing.  I am grateful for growing up with two brothers, one a year older and one a year younger, who allowed (yes, that word again) me to play sandlot ball, pick up football, hockey and other neighbourhood games the boys were playing.  I don't remember any other girls playing.  I thank them also for never giving me a break when I did play with them.  It was always an honour to be 'one of the guys'.  I don't ever remember anyone giving me a hard time growing up as a tomboy.  At least not until I was getting into my teens.  The boys at that stage of my life were more impressed with the make-up girls and the ones who wore bras and cheered them on from the sidelines than they were with the girls who could play (some of whom also wore make-up and bras!).

While all of this was fine and dandy there was one thing that irked me more than anything.  I grew up in an era when there were very few opportunities for girls/women to dream about playing the sports they loved as a career.  Yes, there was tennis and, to a lesser degree, golf but both of these sports required LOTS of $$$.  My brothers grew up dreaming about playing football and hockey. There were many 'game-winning' moments in our basement, on our driveway and in the neighbourhood sandlots for the boys.  I remember clearly how angry this made me at the time.  I had such a strong sense of this being so unfair! Somewhere along the way this began to change just a little. You will never know how much I love the women who paved the way for those women athletes who are household names today.  You will never know how much I love the women who honour each other and the successes of their own team-mates and rivals equally.

When I started playing softball I found my tribe, my pack.  There were many tribes along the way in many sports; softball, basketball, volleyball, golf, swimming and yes, even field hockey (for a game or two).  The girls I played with were my heroes.  I don't remember any competition amongst us.  I don't remember any arguments or criticism.  I only remember teamwork and friendship both on the court/field and off.

"Her victory is your victory," Wambach declares. "Celebrate with her."

Many of the women I grew up playing sports with are still playing strong.  Many of them have taken on new sports in their later years as well.  These are the women who inspire me daily.  I am not always a fan of the big name athletes and soccer isn't always my favourite sport, but WOW!  Christine Sinclair's accomplishments are creating a new world for little girls who will follow in her footsteps.  Abby Wambach has set a standard for celebration, not only for the little girls coming up but for the women who are playing at all levels right now.

To all the little girls in my world - your pack is waiting for you!

Happy International Women's Day to all the women out there, in sports and in life, who are paving the way for those who are watching all you do and say.