This morning was to be a morning at Cornwall Park and club archery for Finn. He opted not to go because it’s been pouring with rain and he didn’t want to shoot outdoors and risk damaging his bow. I was disappointed. I realised I’ve come to enjoy the tiny amount of camaraderie I have with the eccentrics who people the club. No doubt it would be far greater if we were archers too but this is Finn’s thing and we’ve opted to stay on the sidelines and just support. I also realised that one of the joys of archery is that, regardless of talent, everyone is treated the same. You’d never know who was best by listening and watching. I realised I liked the fact that there are no favourites either, that boys and girls compete together and, while scores matter, there is no sense of a ‘special’ group and that Finn isn’t disadvantaged because he’s a male. Girls aren’t disadvantaged either, there is no ‘special’ parent group and, if you’re not actually at the events, you’d never know who competes nationally or internationally because these same archers shift the heavy targets, sweep the sheep shit from the club rooms and coach the beginners just like everyone else. It’s truly egalitarian and it was a real buzz to realise that the woman coaching Finn yesterday who was wearing funny old shorts, an unbranded t shirt and worn trainers is actually the number two archer in the world. She always says ‘hi’ to me too and sometimes has a bit of a chat with not a hint of that superior arrogance that you often find in other sports. I like that because people like me are often left out in the cold socially and it’s nice to feel like I have a bit of a place – which, more often than not, isn’t the case with the other activities I engage in. So, Finn deciding not to shoot this morning gave me some time to analyse and reflect on why I feel such an innate pleasure in this activity, a pleasure that I don’t currently experience anywhere else at work or at play.
dykiegirl 