A Lesson in Assertiveness

It's been awhile since our last family-outing, so we decided to take in a little basketball action at the Target Center last weekend. No, not the Timberwolves. We actually saw the Globetrotters performance as they once again took on their arch nemesis Washington Generals.

You all remember the Globetrotters as kids, right? What I mostly remember about them is the way-cool cartoon on Saturday mornings, and the fact that the "lead" player's name was Curly, when in fact he was actually bald.

Hey...I was a smart kid. Not a bit of irony was lost on me, OK?

I knew Will would like it. The two of us went with his cub scout pack last year and he had so much fun. But, I knew Maddie would have her doubts. This typically isn't her kind of thing. It really didn't take long to convince her that it was going to be fun...and funny!

After the game, the players took positions around the court and gave out autographs for 30 minutes. Their first autograph experience took forever as bunches of children, teens, and adults squeezed and elbowed their way in front of my timid and polite kids, who quietly waiting in line, looked as though they were in the school cafeteria. After the quick lesson in "polite assertiveness" and "standing your ground" from Bill and I, they jumped right in for more. It didn't take long for this to become a competition between the two of them as they raced from player to player, using their new-found skills of edging-in, ducking-around, and wiggling-through.

And in the spirit of David Carradine, as we watched our two brave, young grasshoppers from way up on section 113, we couldn't have been prouder.