Florida Manatees and Chicago Matadors

I read an article today about the Florida Marlins that really irritated me. They are searching for big men to form a male cheerleading squad that will be known as the "Manatees." They are not the first sports team to try to capitalize on the fact that more and more people are overweight, they are only the most recent. However, I find this trend as demeaning towards larger people as pornography is demeaning towards the people who participate in it. They are putting together this squad, in my opinion, to give the public an acceptable route to laugh at and humiliate people who are specifically chosen for their size. Perhaps my opinion is cynical, but I cannot see how creating a squad such as this is anything but negative. It would be nice to think that they were doing it in an attempt to increase awareness and acceptance of people regardless of size, but I fear that is not the case.

The Chicago Bulls also has an "extra large" male cheerleading squad called the Matadors. After a quick Google search, it is clear that the common opinion of people who post on the Internet about this group is that these men are laughable, comedic relief. Perhaps that is how the group was conceived, and if it were just a group of any type of guys, perhaps that would be better. But the way it's set up, it is simply perpetuating all of the stereotypes of large people. On their MySpace page, they have the following quote: "The ideal Matador loves being the life of the party, proudly displays a wacky sense of humor and rarely, if ever, visits the health club."

Neither of these groups is a move towards acceptance or understanding that size-ism is hurtful in no matter what form it takes.

Twenty Days of Stories: Day One

“Detective Toller,” the young officer handed him a thick sheaf of papers, the ink from the fax machine smearing slightly under his thumb. “The reports you requested, sir. All the information we’ve been able to gather on this sonofa...”

“Thank you, Officer Underwood. That will be enough.” Detective Gerald Toller took the papers gingerly, minding the wet ink that threatened his own fingers, and began to turn back to his desk.

“There’s one more thing, Detective.”

Toller raised his eyes expectantly to the young officer’s now-sweaty face. “What is it?” He asked in a clipped, get-back-to-work kind of tone.

“It’s your wife, sir. She’s here to see you.” The beads of sweat on the young man’s round face began to grow under Toller’s sharp gaze.

“That woman!” Toller muttered. “Show her in,” he exhaled. “Might as well get it over with.”

The young officer nodded and squeezed out of the room, avoiding the stacks of papers that had been piled all around. Toller began reading the smeared report that Underwood had left in his hands. He skimmed over the description of the brutal carvings that had been engraved all over the young girl’s body. Skipping the forensic reports entirely, he thumbed right to the page with the description of a red-haired woman in her mid forties, the clearest potential witness they had found yet.

“Honey?” His wife’s timid voice reached out to him, a tendril of smoke in the chimney of police station noise that funneled through his door.

“Yes, dear. Come in.” He put the pages down and walked over to her. He gave her a peck on the cheek and, shutting the door gently behind her, ushered her to the only chair that wasn’t filled with yet more stacks of papers. At first, she stayed planted where she was, but after a moment’s reconsideration, moved toward the seat.

“What can I do for you, darling?” His voice sounded strained to him, but conveyed none of the impatience he was feeling. Or at least, he hoped it didn’t.

“I...” she paused, a thoughtful frown wrinkling her forehead. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“And it couldn’t wait?” He could hear the impatience in his own voice now, guarded as he was trying to keep it.

“This case has been positively running your life for the last two weeks.” She shot back, her face reddening in what he knew was the beginning of an angry tirade.”

“Listen. This isn’t the best time. We’ve finally gotten a lead on a possible eyewitness to the girl’s murder. Whatever we need to discuss, we can do it at home. Later.” His neck tensed, voice rising to match the argument he knew she was about to launch into.

“That’s just...” The phone rang, and he turned quickly to it, breathing a sigh of relief for the interruption.

“Toller here...” He paused, listening. “Yes, I got them,” another pause, “Yes, I saw that also.” His breath caught, “The report I received didn’t say that, Captain! Yes, of course. I’m headed down there immediately.”

He dropped the phone back on its hook unceremoniously, then glanced at his wife who immediately lowered her hand from the strand of curly brown hair she had been pulling on. Looking down at her, he saw that her face was sallow and more pinched than usual.

“Look, I’m sorry to do this, but I’m going to have to go. We’ll talk later.” He leaned over to the coat rack and pulled his blazer down. Opening the door, he held it for her and pointedly watched her as she hesitantly stepped towards it.

“It’s really quite important, Gerald.” She paused before stepping through the door, looking up at him with eyes that glinted with... tears?

“Later.”

He put his right hand lightly on her back and guided her through the door. Once they had both stepped through, he gave her another peck on the cheek and began to run towards the parking lot.

She exhaled slowly as he departed, one hand on her chest as if to calm a heart that would leap out of her ribs. Walking slowly back to her car, she opened the driver’s door and climbed in, closing the door gently behind her. Her right hand reached over to the passenger seat and touched the grocery bag that was sitting on it, opening it just enough to reassure herself that the red-haired wig was still there.

It's that time of year again!!!

October is the month of anticipation leading up to National Novel Writing Month. The time when I wonder how I'll be able to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Unlike last year, I've got one year of winning under my belt! So now, it's not as much a matter of winning as it is creating a personal best to beat last year!

Anyone else with me for this unbridled romp through our own minds?

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

You Are Most Like Carrie!

You're quirky, flirty, and every guy's perfect first date. But can the guy in question live up to your romantic ideal? It's tough for you to find the right match - you're more than a little picky. Never fear... You've got a great group of friends and a great closet of clothes, no matter what! Romantic prediction: You'll fall for someone this year... Totally different from any guy you've dated.

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

Boredom

I've come to realize I spend a great deal of time bored. Absolutely, utterly bored. It's not that I lack things to do - if you took a look at my calendar, you'd probably wonder when I managed to find time to eat and sleep.

The truth is that most of the activities I engage in are not ones that really, fully engage my mind. By the time I'm done with my day, even though I'm tired and needing to go to sleep, I'm still hitting the "refresh" button on my web browser every 30 seconds, hoping in vain that something will have shown up on my Yahoo news page that will capture my interest for a few minutes.

How is it that a person can go through a lifetime of things to do and still be bored? What is it that I'm looking for?

I wish I knew.

Omigod a post???

I know, it's been an awfully long time since I've written. I'll try to be better. Really! I promise.

In the meantime, I started up a separate blog (because I've been SOOO good at keeping this one up!!!) that I'm using to chronicle my training for the Maui Half-Marathon that I'm running this September.

Oh yeah, did I mention I'm running a half marathon this fall????

Anyhow, you can check it out at erinsmarathon.blogspot.com.

I did it!

I did it! I achieved the unfathomable... the inexplicable... the truly insane....

I finished 50K in 30 days!!!!!!

See my pretty winner's icon???

I'm so excited I could cry!