But it made me think of this.
Pop Warner, 2004. I think this was the first uniform he ever had. But it represented the same ideals of his current one: pride, teamwork, striving to be better than he thinks he can be, sacrifice, doing what needs to be done no matter the weather, and (hopefully) the taste of victory.
The Romans had a set of manly virtues, which they used to grind their enemies to dust. I still see these in the new generation: Dignitas, personal pride. Disciplina, fealty to their military oath. Firmitas, tenacity. Honestas, respectability. Industria, an ethic of hard work. Severitas, self-control.
There are times that I despair for our nation, and offer up a heart-felt prayer. God save this Honorable Republic.
Days like yesterday make me think that sometimes the Lord hears, and answers.
Ah uniforms! Hail Warrior! Good thing our Water Polo matches (and the pics taken) were conducted while IN the pool - our uniforms were rather skimpy and only the "helmet" (cloth ear protection from getting batted about the head) had numbers. Some guys (me included) wore two "uniforms" because there was a tendency for them to be removed (or attempted removal) by the opposing team during vigorous swimming activity and various other underwater gouging, scratching, punching, elbow-events etc.
ReplyDeleteMatches held in the rain were kind of a trip - water everywhere, up and down.
Dirtcrashr, I'm (barely) old enough to remember the news reports of the Czech-Russian Water Polo matches in 1968. And how the water flowed red.
ReplyDeleteMe, I'm nowhere near Man enough to play water polo. And not ashamed to say so.
Fortunately at that age we weren't so over-strong to be very injurious to one another, so it was mostly very tiresome and between splashes of action consisted of *not* hanging onto the edge of the pool gasping for breath. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHerodotus on the raising of Persian youths:
ReplyDelete"To ride a horse, to draw a bow, and to speak the Truth.