Seventeen Years Later

When I was a freshman in high school, I tried out for the junior varsity cheerleading squad. I was so intimidated by the varsity cheerleaders who were teaching us stunts, jumps, cheers, and a dance routine during tryouts. They were all hot, had even hotter boyfriends, had perfect bodies, and oozed coolness even with a scrunchie in their hair. I admit, I was jealous. After all, this is when I was still sporting my unibrow. Bless my heart.

One of the varsity cheerleaders was a senior named Sarah. She was tiny, adorable, had big curly hair, and a perfect tan. I was friends with her younger brother Matt and I was hoping that connection would increase my odds of making the squad. Disregard the fact that I had never done cheerleading, even for pee-wee football. I had never taken gymnastics. I had never done the splits. I had no rhythm. No coordination whatsoever. But I sure as hell couldn’t play sports that involved a ball, and I yearned to be involved with SOMETHING. I figured my chicken legs couldn’t possibly look bad in a super short cheerleading skirt, so that was my sport of choice.

Thankfully, or perhaps to my future embarrassment, only 8 girls tried out for JV. So, as humiliating and painful as tryouts were, we all made the squad. I actually found out I wasn’t a born loser on the same day I got my driver’s permit. Hooray for my self-esteem, no? That was a good day. Don’t worry about the fact that I was out of sync on every single cheer and dance the following year. I’ll tell you what I WAS good at. I could yell really loud and remember the words to every cheer. I was also a sturdy base for stunts. But I couldn’t clap with the right beat for a million dollars.

Anyway, all this to say… seventeen years later, that awesome senior cheerleader who was tiny, adorable, had big curly hair, and a perfect tan is my sister-in-law. She has been since 1999 when I married her baby brother (Andy). Happy 35th birthday, Sarah!

Sarah & Nathan (June 2008)