camcorders

Sunday morning at 5am I roused Sadie from sound sleep to get ready for her swim meet in Somerville (start time 7am). She was cranky but I remember that she is cranky in the morning no matter what so we didn't talk too much and I helped her get dressed and bundled up for the cold and promised her a nice bagel on the ride in. She was tired.
The scene at the swim meet was like any other that we have been to, parents and children running a muck, purchasing swim gear, pep talking their children to championship status.
And then there was Sadie and I munching on our bagels, hair all everywhere barely out of our pajamas, laughing.
She was a little nervous. She always says her belly hurts before these events. I feel bad for her. I want to tell her that we don't have to do this and that we can leave at any time but I don't because I know that she really wants to do these things and that at the end she is always happy to talk for days about these things. I always hated that about my mother. Whenever any little thing became hard in my life she was always there telling me to quit, why bother? I know Sadie really well and I am glad that I do.
I went up to the bleachers to watch and there they all were. All the swim moms. I had heard about soccer moms and hockey moms but these swim moms are equally crazy. They are frantic and writing down times and statistics.
I had the Boston Globe and proceeded to read it from front to back.
What is wrong with me? Why can't I get in to this mom world? Why am I so wrapped up in my own world to relate to most people?
Anyhow, I waved to Sadie. She was happy to locate me and playing with friends. I admired her in her NSSharks swimsuit and her cap and goggles. I watched in awe at her body manipulate the butterfly and I thanked God for giving me her in all of her youthful glee and eternal hopefulness. When the meet started the camcorders came out and I realized (as I always do in moments like this) that I never carry a camcorder. I pretty much never do. I video the kids in the house and on summer vacation and I take a ton of pictures but I just can't imagine needing video of every freestyle race Sadie swims in during her life.
But then I feel bad and I look empty handed and kind of pathetic.
So I whip out my phone. My new phone has videoing possibilities and although I don't really know how to work it I looked like I did and I was in uniform with all the other moms. We were in videoing stance poised for our child's victory.
In the end Sadie improved on her times (I think) and did really well. She did not win a medal but these were the districts which is the best of the best all over the state. She was most happy about the pool size and that her team came in 3rd out of 18th. She talked about that the whole ride home. In between talking about Harry Potter and the piano.
I did have a video camera at her first meet. Here she is two years ago.