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Sunday 15 May 2016

Professional Wrestling, or family videos?



I can't remember how it came to fruition, but by the time I was 6 years old I had arguably become the greatest fan of (at the time) WWF Wrestling there ever was!  If my parents could afford every action figure, toy, card game, Pay Per View event, live event, I would HAVE IT ALL.
I often fantasized about being a WWF wrestler, I started doing push ups, sit-ups and squats in hopes that I would one day grow to have steroid induced shoulders like the ultimate warrior!
Sadly it never happened, but you should see my ass now, it's quite amazing.

The biggest problem with it all is once my dad found out that I was watching WWF wrestling, he immediately banned me from watching it. It's too violent.  I was so enamored with professional wrestling, I wouldn't give up on it so easily.  My dad knew when it was on, and he would check up on me to see if I'm watching it.
There was no escape, nor was there limits to my perseverance. 
In a world where internet wasn't even a thought process yet, I managed to figure out on my own how to setup a timed VHS recording for WWF, which I would later watch when my dad would be expecting me to watch morning cartoons.

The plan worked, for months my dad had no idea I was watching professional wrestling.  I had taken a used VHS tape of old family videos, when the tape ran out I would start from the beginning, and continue to record over it. 
I was on top of the world, I fooled my parents yet again, I can do what I want, nobody can stop me!!!

Until one day, my parents had some friends over who they hadn't seen in some time.  My dad wanted to share a precious family moment with them.  He walked over to the shelf with all the family VHS tapes and grabbed the one labeled "Annie's first steps".   I was excited to see the video too, I haven't seen this one yet!  As he grabbed it off the shelf my stomach sank.  I recognized it, because out of all the VHS tapes it was the one I recognize the most. It was the one I recorded WWF maple leaf wrestling on OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER again.

If there was ever a time I thought about running out the front door and into head on traffic, it was right at this moment. Do I hide in my room? Do I hide behind the couch? Do I hide under the bed? Do I try to convince them to watch another family tape?  I don't.  I sit there and pretend like I know nothing.  Anyone could have recorded WWF wrestling, it could have been my Mom, or my older brother for all my father knows.  I just need to not look guilty right?

My dad sticks the VHS in, and immediately Hulk Hogan is yelling about how he's going to take Andre The Giant out at the next pay per view BROTHEERRR!!!



Don't look guilty.
Don't look guilty.
Don't look guilty.
My dad looks directly at me.
I looked guilty.

There was a lot of times my dad yelled at me, but I think this particular time was the loudest.  I still picture him with red eyes and a city burning behind him, that's how angry he looked.  The only thing stopping him from strangling me I'm sure, was the fact that they had friends over.

My dad promised me that we would talk about this later. Something definitely happened after our guests had left, but I don't remember very much talking.

You'd think that would be enough to turn me off from wrestling, but it wasn't.
I simply waited until the next time my dad purchased empty tapes, and I took one for my own.
In the end I had my way, I always had my way.




2 comments:

  1. Liked it, but what wine did you have while remembering with this particular story, LOL mimi

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    Replies
    1. Hello Mimi, what an excellent point!
      Being that this blog revolves around drinking wine, it's probably a good idea to share what wine I'm drinking at the time of each post. I'm not sure what it was for this one, but I'll be sure to share wine labels going forward :)

      Michael

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