Oh, Grandma, What's Up Now?

My love of MMA has put me in some very unusual situations.

There was a time when my grandson was twelve, when he was the only one of my grandchildren to argue the points of MMA with me.

He was contentious and because I am old, a woman, and have never wrestled, as he has since the age of five, he did not have any faith in my opinions.

And to look at me, who would?

I am not a person whose appearance tells the story of the athletic feats from my glory days.

Age and Multiple Sclerosis have clouded the active person I once was.

My grandson Cody knew me both before and after the ravages took away my independence, yet he is too young to realize what I accomplished in my prime.

He does remember how much I loved to play outdoors and could turn anything into a game.

I taught him how to safely pick up snakes and to identify and avoid the dangerous ones in our area.

He was afraid of the water, but I taught him how to swim on a trip to Arizona when we were lucky enough to be in a very posh hotel with two beautiful pools.

My youngest grandson will begin wrestling in just a few months when he turns five.

He has never known the "mobile" grandma and has played the "porch" ball games that grandma can play while sitting in a chair or on the steps of the porch.

In between the boys is one sister in particular who has known the Grandma Dee who could still lift her in the air over head to play "flying baby" with no fear of dropping her.

And she is the point of this story.

Sierra looks like I did at her age, only she looks healthier because she is shorter and not rail thin like I was.

Sierra has grown up with Grandma, while watching MMA, the UFC, and especially Georges St. Pierre.

Of course she has Barbies, loves our horses and every dog or cat she has ever met, but more than anything else, she longs for a GSP action figure that talks just like Georges.

She lived with us for her formative years and I attended many student conferences during the three years she was in pre-school.

None of her teachers knew what MMA was, so luckily my knowledge of early child development (gained from having a B.A. in Education), gave us common ground on which to form a bond that aided our partnership in educating her.

Currently, nine year old Sierra is living in Clinton where both her parents live.

Sierra was thrilled to learn that her fifty two year-old teacher is a fan of MMA and particularly of Georges St. Pierre, so that is not her gripe with Grandma.

What her bone of contention is, results from Grandma's dislike of Matt Hughes and the fact that he has many friends and fans in Clinton.

Sierra has made pronouncements concerning things she has overheard Grandma say, to her teacher.

I am not sure how well her argument that GSP was not a greaser, because even Grandma said that if she were putting Vaseline on Georges, that Grandma would become distracted and would not want to quit rubbing it all over him.

Of course Sierra was quick to explain that it is okay, "because Grandpa was asleep in bed and did not hear this."

Teacher may feel differently about Grandma's statement being considered OK or not, but at least she didn't tell that to Sierra.

Will teacher be as understanding if Sierra reports that Grandma will be cheering for Matt Serra when teacher is a Matt Hughes' fan?

Well, that remains to be seen. So far I have not had an occasion to attend a conference at this school, so I may be safe, unless Grandparents' Day falls before UFC 98.

Grandma seldom leaves the house and has to use a wheelchair to travel over a hundred yards. Although Grandma promised to attend Grandparents' Day and meet Sierra's teacher, the situation could be fraught with danger.

Normally calm and quiet Grandma Dee is exceptionally opinionated and very passionate about her likes and dislikes where her favorite sport is concerned.

Teachers who try to be cordial under ordinary circumstances, may be just as temperamental as Grandma about all things MMA.

As long as the subject of Matt Hughes and Matt Serra doesn't come up, all will be well.

If not...well Sierra and her grandmother may end up in detention staying after school!