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Pastimes : Don't Ask Rambi -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Thomas C. White who wrote (12627)	9/18/1998 7:44:00 PM
From: Rambi	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 71178

I DID buy more at 3 and now it's at 2 11/16. I guess the chauffeur goes. But he looked silly driving the Hyundai anyway. Today I went to a Pep Rally. THe school was "honoring" CW for making National Merit Semifinalist and invited me. Things have really changed in the thirty years since I wore saddle oxfords and waved red and white pompoms. In the 60s being a cheerleader was a result of being a nice girl with good grades and the ability to turn a somersault without throwing up. THe teachers picked their favorites. We had one uniform that our mothers made. Our high school band had no tuba and two drummers, one who could do a roll on the snare and the other drafted for football season because he was big enough to carry the bass drum around the field during the half time "show", which consisted of forming an L and playing "Lexington Team", which you may know better as "On Wisconsin". Today I was introduced to the Cheerleaders of the 90s, three squads of them - 48 in all. Freshmen, JV and Varsity. Their uniforms, what there was of them, were NOT handmade unless it was by Gucci, even their socks had CHS embroidered on them, and they had glittering SILVER pompoms! Amazingly-all 48 girls had identical ponytails with matching headbands and perfect complexions. It was the Cheerleading Squad from Stepford. One of the reasons I made cheerleader was because I could do a cartwheel-Susan M couldn't, but she was a teacher's pet. These girls did cartwheels-followed by a dozen handsprings and ending in a split. They threw each other into the air, built towers, and not one weighed over 45 pounds, I swear. And that was just the beginning. The Emerald Belles, all 120 of them, marched out in tight black bellbottoms and silver tops and more silver pompoms. And I kid you not, every one of them had a ponytail! Do you think it's like a requirement? ("Sure she's good, but her hair's too short. Reject.") We had an alternate, but no one ever saw her again after the first week or so, because only death would keep a cheerleader from a game. Oh, and pregnancy. One year Anne C. got pregnant and the mothers noticed and made her quit. We were all so innocent, we just thought she was getting plump and that she threw up because the somersault made her dizzy. Here they probably have another 120 alternates waiting in the wings. ("Uhoh, Maryanne has a zit! Call Sub #23!" "Tracy's having a bad hair day. Get Sub #45!") And the band! They had more tubas than we had band members! The drums and percussion do solos, there are so many of them. They bring out marimbas and xylophones and perform unbelievable medleys taht sound more like the National Symphony than a high school band. And my son, one of only two semifinalists in the school, was announced and walked out and the football players were pounding him on the back-all 135 pounds of him- and the cheerleaders were jumping and screaming, "Oooooo--Chris!!!!!!". He had one hand in his pocket and one available for high fives, and he was so-o-o-o cool. But you know what hasn't changed? The kids still yell the cheers and holler and stomp on the bleachers. They whistle at the cheerleaders. They hoot at the poor kid wearing a dragon mascot costume. And no one knows any of the words to the school song except for the last four ---which are "Hail to Carroll High". And they scream them. Wow-I still remember our fight song-- tears fill my eyes as I stand and sing--- Lexington team, Lexington team! Take that ball right through! Show ol' (insert opponent;s name) you can beat them- Now it's up to you! (Fight! Fight! Fight!) Lexington team, Lexington team! Fight for all your fame! Fight, fight fight fight and we will win this game! L-with an L- with an L-E-X! X-with an X-with an I-N-G! G-with a G-with a T-O-N! Lexington! Lexington! Lex-ING-TOOONNNNNN!!!!! Cartwheel!!!!! (Well-maybe not--)