New Years and New Attitudes

Now that Christmas is over, we are all starting a new year of new beginnings and new attitudes. These few days every January are always a special time of resolve, peace, determination, and being better people . Also an excellent time to take a few days, sit back, relax, and enjoy a hockey tournament.

As I was sitting in the lotus position on the bleachers watching my son play, I had resolved not to get upset by players with poor attitudes, grumpy parents, or absolutely blind referees. I had been studying my Christmas yoga tapes for over a week now, and I would sit and enjoy the atmosphere of young people working together in a team sport, parents taking time to watch their children, and the Christmas spirit continuing to pervade a sporting event.

The game got a bit emotionally charged and the boys started pushing a shoving a bit more than usual. The dad standing near me was yelling some phrases that Deepak Chopra had never suggested in his new book. And he was turning quite red. He did not seem to be pervaded by the Christmas spirt.

He glared at me and I smiled very friendly. I showed him a lot of my teeth. This did not seem to make him feel more friendly and he hollered that our sons were not very nice. Or something along those lines.

Now I had resolved for the new year to be much better behaved and amicable to one and all. So, I would not let this angry man upset me. Drawing from my inner self, I let the serene forces of the universe swell up inside me and I held up my fingers, giving the dad the universal sign of peace. This should calm him down.

It did not. But I only had been studying yoga for about a week. Sometimes I tended to get my universal signs mixed up and display the wrong fingers. Realizing my possible error, I did not let his continued anger upset me.

The game continued to get more physical. How young men do love to exercise. Although it may appeared aggressive, I knew from Deepak Chopra that appearances can be deceiving. That these young men were just releasing their natural male tendencies of physical exertion. They seemed to be having great fun.

That angry dad had obviously never even read a paragraph of Deepak Chopra’s wisdom. His arteries began to raise up on his head. He also had surmised exactly who my son was. Possibly he was tipped off by my shirt that displayed my son’s name and number in very large lettering, but I could not be sure. I began to debate whether to call 911 when this man blew an artery. I also debated whether to move so when he blew the artery it would not mess up my new shirt with my son’s number. But, not wanting to leave the lotus position that my legs were now permanently frozen into, I decided to stay put.

Now the boys from both teams were obviously having so much fun that they decided to all jump on top of each other, arms and legs swinging in joy. That angry dad did not seem to appreciate the fun. He rushed up to me and yelled. I told him to please calm down, our boys were just playing a game. He should not get so upset because his team played like a bunch of girls. Girls could play sports very well, too.

I also noticed that when his mouth was open that wide to yell at me, I could see his tonsils very well. Also that little piece of throat that hangs down and wags back and forth looked a bit red. I knew I should have been a doctor. I was very good at identifying parts of the body and diagnosing potential illness. Maybe in a year of new beginnings I would go to medical school.

Telling him that he was not pervaded by the Christmas spirit, and he should really back away or I would also demonstrate my other Christmas gift which was an industrial sized can of pepper spray (in pink!), he snapped his mouth shut and skulked away.

Shaking my head at how some people take no heed to New Year’s beginnings and forming new attitudes, I folded painfully back into my lotus position, located my son once more in the game, and let myself be filled with the Christmas spirit. And I once more held up my hand and gave the angry dad the universal sign of peace. I think.