It was the last day of competition...our Guard had won 1st place on Saturday and was back on Sunday to try and repeat. I was crouched in my filming position ready to go. The judges were ready, the Guard was ready and "East Coweta Varsity" took the floor for competition.
Before our girls went on I was sitting up in the stands by the mother of a girl on another guard team. She asked me what team I was there to see and when I told her, she rolled her eyes and gave a slight shake of her head. EVERYBODY knows our team! She said it was always a great show when our team performed. I puffed up with pride and told her the team put in long and hard hours to do as well as they do...she said politely "It really shows."
Sitting crossed legged on the floor of the balcony in the gym like the graceful lady I am I turned on the camera and blew my daughter a kiss for luck.
Great start...great spinning and every one was in sync. I have finally mastered how to operate my cam corder (with many tutorials from my kids) and things were looking good for our team through my viewfinder.
A little over halfway through the program I began to relax a little...it seemed the Guard did too and they all looked like they were having the time of their life.
I thought the music seemed to be dragging a bit, but attributed it to that major stroke I have felt coming on for about a year now.
NO...it was DEFINITELY dragging and sounding worse every second. It began to not even sound like a song but background music for a haunted house. The team kept right on.
Right before the music stopped completely the team began counting time out loud. First one person, then another joined and before three more seconds passed the entire Guard was counting off the routine with no music whatsoever. They never paused, hesitated or let the smiles fade from their faces. They ended the routine just as they had time after time before. The entire gym stood and gave them a standing ovation.
As the Guard exited the tarp they all gathered in one corner of the gym.
One of the Guard, a petite and absolutely beautiful girl inside and out has a heart condition and has had a few episodes as of late. Thank goodness her mom is a nurse...that's what I have always admired about nurses, they are the most calm and reassuring people you could ever want in a crisis. Her dad and mom led her out of the gym and you could tell from the young girl's face she was most definitely in distress and was having a hard time even breathing.
Right after this happened it was determined the Guard would have a second chance to perform once the music track was fixed.
By this point all the Guard was frantic about their friend and worried about marching right back in front of the crowd...without their team mate to do another performance. I think their motto is most certainly "All for one and one for all."
The young girl was being taken care of by her mother (luckily also a nurse) and as they say in show business "The show must go on."
I scrambled back up the steps to resume my lady like position on the floor and once again heard "Are the judges ready? Is the Guard ready? East Coweta Varsity you may take the floor for competition."
So they're off again...rattled and worried about a team mate and more determined than ever to make it a tribute to their friend. (At least that's the way I saw it.)
They pulled it off...they squeezed together a little and spread out a little and to the amateur's eye you didn't notice the missing Guard...she was only missing in the Guard team's own minds and thoughts.
Luckily the girl recovered...since I'm a bit touchy about getting things right I got the scoop from her mom/nurse.
"It was not a heart attack but sinus arrythimia, exacerbated with increased heart rate that wouldn't drop with rest. She also had chest pains with shortness of breath."
That, my friends...is not a hang nail but a serious situation.
Praise the Lord she is oaky.
Praise the Lord our Guard won another first place.
Praise the Guard they presented this girl with their first place trophy to take home as her own.
The above video is the now wildy popular video of "The Day the Music Died." Enjoy...
LOVE YOU RACHEL !
No comments:
Post a Comment