Tag Team Back Again

Tag Team Back Again

                Ahhhh, the good ole days of WWF wrestling.  Do you know who those guys are? One of them just happens to be my childhood fav- Junkyard Dog, or JYD.  I grew up with a brother who is two years older than me. We didn’t have many girls in our neighborhood, so he was my only playmate at home.  Like most older siblings, he chose the games and toys we played with.  I would do anything to play with him and his friends.  I had the honor of being Rebound Girl for their driveway basketball games.(Basically, I was able to go get the basketball when it rolled into the backyard.)   I was also able to watch him play Nintendo, and he let me be the official Answer Girl (AKA the one who look up all the answers in the encyclopedia) when playing Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiago.  His G.I. Joe’s attacked my doll house, and sometimes he let me be Bib Fortuna when he played with his Star Wars toys.  

               Although I might have had to wait for him to pick what we played after school, I could always bet on our Saturday morning activity-  WWF in the living room while my Mom cleaned the house. Sure, it usually meant lots of body slamming, flying elbows, and jumps off the top rope (our couch more specifically).  However, I learned a very valuable lesson from WWF back in the 80s that would help me be a better parent and teacher. 

                Tag team wresting paired two wrestlers together in order to take on another pair.  For the sake of entertainment, there were many drama filled pairings and matches.  However, the main point was that when one of the wrestlers was tired or couldn’t take it anymore, they tagged their teammate to go in.  This usually followed a dramatic slam across the head with a folding chair, but it gave the partner a chance to catch their breath, regain their composure, and go back for more.  It didn’t matter if one partner was in for most of the match. It didn’t have to be even or equal. The partners just had to agree to switch and tag.

                As a kid of the 80s with a WWF obsessed brother , this has resonated with me as an adult.  Parenting in our house is definitely a tag team event.  We are officially outnumbered, so the matches are uneven at times.  However, I have learned over the years that I need to tag my husband in before I lose it for us.  Maybe it’s because I’m tired.  Often, it’s because I’m out of patience.  Whatever the case is, I don’t have the ability to “win” at that moment.  I need to step away, catch my breath, and regain my composure before I rejoin the match.  Best case, my husband saves the day and I don’t reenter the ring. 

                Now, I will tell you that there have been times at work and home that I have been told to tag out.  Yeah, that didn’t set right with me the first few times it happened.  No one likes to be told they aren’t  getting the job done.  However, hindsight is 20/20.  I can reflect on those times and know that it didn’t mean I wasn’t being a good mother or teacher.  I just wasn’t the best person for that moment.  You should always have your best person in the match or game.  We all bring strengths and weaknesses to the table.  Just because its someone else’s turn to be strong doesn’t mean you are weak.  It just means it’s time for you to rest up and get ready to be tagged back in.

                So to my big brother Jay, thanks for being obsessed with WWF.  I guess all those clotheslines onto the couch weren’t for nothing, buddy!