I have quite a competitive side to me. I don’t [always] let losing get to me but I do enjoy winning. The funny thing is my family isn’t very competitive so I must have acquired this trait from the friends I’ve been lucky to surround myself with. Kendra is very competitive too so tonight we were in need of something to do. Our other plans didn’t quite pan out so we hopped in the car (Totally unrelated but who came up with this phrase? Hopped into the car? I only know one person who hops anywhere and that’s Tigger but I digress…) and drove down to the Fiesta on Lake Mead and 215. We parked on the top level of the garage, made our way down the elevator, avoided any slot machines and headed to the arcade where the real fun awaited us. Our destination? The air hockey table!
We played six games tonight and I defeated my wife 5 games to 1. I didn’t have my camera with me tonight but here is basically what this all looked like in person:
My confidence was high with victory and we thought our fun was done for the night, when another challenger emerged! A rather unassuming boy, around 9 or 10 years old, named Jesús entered the arena, “I wanna play you,” he said.
I didn’t even care that this battle wouldn’t get to air on pay-per-view and I’d miss out on all of the buy rate commissions, “I am invincible!” I thought to myself. Our match began with a flurry and I found Jesús fighting dirty, hardly waiting for me to take hold of my striker/paddle/mallet/whatever that thing is called before launching his first attack. Our skills were evenly matched throughout and limitless heart was displayed. Our scores fell on 5-5 when Kendra, my adoring wife, was still wroth with her defeats from earlier.
“Go Jesús!” she cheered!
What betrayal! Could my own wife be turning against me? Here we are, knowing nothing of this boy except his name and here she stands, rooting for a stranger! A few bad strikes and a few mistakes later, the humming of the air holes stopped on the table. 7-5 flashed repeatedly on the air hockey table’s display. Nate Grant was defeated…soundly….to a 10 year old boy. Had the torch just been passed? I smiled, played the adult and smiled and et tu Kendra and I exited the arcade. The competitor within raged, “BEST OF 3! BEST OF 5! STOMP THIS KID 10 TIMES IN A ROW FOR THIS DEFEAT! NO ONE DEFEATS ME!!!”
I kept walking. I kept smiling. I kept hoping to meet Jesús again and avenge my loss and still, I kept walking…
I guess that’s self control.
Here’s something that’s weird about the competitor in me. I always want to find a funnier YouTube video than my friends. This was one I found this week. I hope you enjoy it
Nate
http://www.TNGphoto.com <- Las Vegas Photography Web Site
http://www.TNGseniors.com <- Las Vegas Senior Photography Web Site
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