I hate politics.

Growing up in the Washington, DC area, I have been surrounded by politics my entire life. I know it is important to understand what is going on in the country and I do my best to do that. I do not, however, like to discuss politics with anyone. Not even with people who share my same views. I find these discussions either boring or contentious, so I steer clear of such conversations. Although given the current situation we are in, that's all that is being discussed anywhere I go! I can't avoid it this time. And, quite frankly, I shouldn't avoid it. Thank goodness Remy "lightened up" the serious situation with a little rap...

Tennis

Chances are if you grew up with Bigby as your last name, you love tennis. My dad is one of 10 children, all who play tennis and have tried to woo their children into the sport as well. Frankly, it's quite unusual for a large black family raised in Edgefield, SC and Winston-Salem, NC to be into what many might call " a country club sport", but they are. My dad might be the tennis fanatic of the family. He went to college on a tennis scholarship and played all four years. After college, he taught tennis lessons and coached. Before my mom and dad started seriously dating, Mom and her friend took tennis lessons from my dad. Dad says Mom was so bad he refunded her money, but asked her out on a date. The rest is history, but needless to say, you will never catch my parents on the tennis court together! In fact, my mom doesn't even really like tennis! On our family vacations to the Carribbean, Dad plays in the hotel tennis tournament while his leading ladies bask on the beach. Despite the fact that I would rather sit on the beach than watch my dad kick somebody's butt on the clay/grass, he has transferred his love of tennis to me.
I had today off and was thrilled I could lay out at the pool, but also wake up early and catch some of Wimbledon. Of all the Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon is my favorite. The players look so classy in all white. This should be a requirement for the sport no matter what match you are playing. The Williams sisters light up the court with flashy outfits. Contrary to the message their outfits send, they are not at the nightclub! All white is the way to go! I watched the semi-finals today:  Jo-Wili Tsonga versus Novak Djokivich and Rafa Nadal vs Andy Murray. I had never heard of Tsonga before but that guy plays with heart! He knocked off the number one player in the world, Roger Federer, and played a heck of a match against Djokivich. The whole match is a candidate for the highlight reel. I was sorry to see that he did not advance to the finals. If you take down Federer, you deserve to be there. Jo-Wili choked on the last tie breaker and Novak claimed the victory! The Nadal-Murray match was slightly less thrilling, but still a good match. Sunday is sure to please with a Nadal-Djokivich final.
My dream of being able to play tennis and follow in my family's footsteps came true when the Wii was invented. Every time I beat Dad in Wii tennis, he defends himself by saying it's not the same as the game in real life. He may be correct, but it's as real as it will ever get for me. I just tell him my disability masks my natural born tennis talents. The Wii allows us to compete yet bond over a sport we both love. On Sunday, we'll be rootin' Rafa on to victory and may even engage in a friendly competition of our own!