An Ill Memory

Like so many thousands across this great land of ours, I've been caught in the clutches of sickness. Though I'm largely over it, the fatigue and general feeling of uselessness almost caught me blog-less this week for the first time since I went weekly years ago. Never one to disappoint, I had to think of a way to equate wrestling memorabilia and illness. Bingo!

Many years ago, when I was in the third grade to be exact, there was to be a birthday party at my house with a few friends and their parents. I was thrilled with the idea of multiple families converging at my house, as it just wasn't something that happened regularly. I was anticipating the evening greatly.

That afternoon at school, as much as I tried to fight it, the feeling hit me like a ton of bricks. I was sick. Although I managed to make it to the restroom or nurse's office before creating a disgusting mess, let's just say that I made it quite known. In fact, I did something that I never did at school. Between the pain of the bug, as well as disappointment in the inevitable, I cried. In some sort of private personal policy, I simply did not cry at school. I knew kids who did, but it just wasn't something in which I partook. Even my teacher at the time, a miserable boy-hating battle ax, was compassionate at this most pathetic hour of my life.

As I was picked up to go home, I knew that the parents would be called and the party would be cancelled. As my feeling improved in the evening, I was at least given my presents from my parents. What did I receive? Several Hasbro and Galoob wrestlers as well as a new ring! Although I already had the Hasbro WWF ring, this was a knock-off sold at Hills Department Store. It was vinyl, had a soundbox attachment, and was something that I'd had my eye on for a long time.

In the second disappointment of this birthday, the ring turned out to be a dud. Soon after assembly, the ring ropes caused the turn posts to cave in, thus rendering it useless. Never ones to waste money, my parents gave me a choice. I could either exchange it and try another, or return it and use the money to buy more figures. Of course I was going to expand my roster! I can confirm with certainty that Akeem, Demolition Ax, Butch Reed, and Rick Steiner were among the new talents to join my "company" because of this debacle.

Sick? I was sick? It was time to wrestle!