General Hospital was fun for my family, because it was a show we all enjoyed. We loved the characters and the story line. And today, my family of B'e has their own "soap," although it isn't really considered a soap opera. But the WWE is our Family Soap, and it has been fun for us as our obsession with the wrestling world has evolved. I used to kind of worry about our crazy devotion to the WWE, and I thought in the beginning that it would likely be a passing fancy. I don't see our love for it going away any time soon, though. I believe it is here to stay. And guess what? I think it's a good thing. Much like General Hospital was for my family back in the day, we gather around the television every Monday and Thursday night. Brady even tries to make sure he catches the episodes on the road in his motel rooms so we can text back and forth about what's going on.
In fact, the WWE has become a sort of glue for us. Many a frown has been turned upside down by simply mentioning a wrestler. If I know one of my B's is upset or sad, I just mention some random fact about wrestling, and wah-lah! Like magic, the bad mood is instantly gone. We talk about wrestling every single day - I kid you not! We discuss the wrestlers. We talk about their stories. We follow them on Instagram. We have the WWE apps on our devices. We speculate about what will happen. This might sound silly to you, but I always remember what Dr. Phil says - talk about the little things with your kids so they'll come to you when there's something big.
Both of my kiddos dream of becoming a WWE Superstar. And I'm okay with that! The Superstars are the best of the best. And who am I to crush a dream? I hope they both make it! Maybe they will become the first Brother-Sister Tag Team. The people who do make it didn't get to the top by being lazy. They are good, hard working, positive people, and they send that message out to everyone.
Hustle. Loyalty. Respect. Never give up. Be the hardest worker in the room. If you're gonna do it, do it with flair (whatever "it" may be). We the People. The People's Champ. Eat, Sleep, Conquer, Repeat.
I think what is so appealing to us is the good vs. evil story. Good wins every now and then, and that is refreshing. It is a bit like the "Old West," and a good western story, isn't it? Good guys vs. bad guys. The bad guys cheat and lie, which is shown to be the negative it is. The good guys always prevail in the long run. And if they are defeated once, they will pick themselves up and try again. Believe it or not, just last week, John Cena inspired me! I was having a bit of a blue week - some things just weren't going my way. John Cena had just been defeated by a wrestler on the "bad" side, and he said it was tough, but he just had to reevaluate the situation and come at it from a different angle, which felt exactly like what I needed to do. See? Positive and helpful, I tell you!
I love the humor the WWE has - it is truly funny! It isn't serious, and yet it is. It has a mysterious quality to it that keeps us coming back for more. I don't remember a single episode that didn't include us laughing. And to get by in this world, you have to have a sense of humor. The WWE is great for showcasing this aspect of life.
Did you know the WWE does a lot of good in the real world? Well they do! They bring up important issues. They talk about unhealthy body images in women, about addiction issues, about helping others. They have pride in being American. They take care of their people. In fact, they have more fans than the NBA, NFL and MLB combined! Bet you didn't know that interesting fact...
My favorite wrestler, of course, is The Rock. I love him! I remember Brady and I watching him wrestle when I was pregnant with Brailey. I love his movies. I love his personality. There is no one cooler than The Rock! I appreciate his message to the world - work hard! Do good! Be happy! Have a sense of humor! Have fun! And he always has time for his fans. Best of all? He calls a pickup a pickup, not a truck. My hero!
Believe it or not, we even love the "bad" guys. I'll never forget how I inadvertently upset an elderly lady at the RAW show we saw in Portland last summer by sharing with her that I liked Stephanie McMahon. She couldn't believe I could like someone so evil! Clearly, some folks take it too far.
The WWE puts on a show unlike anything you've ever seen before, let me tell you! You get your money's worth when you attend a live event. Or watch tv! At our house, we put on our own WWE shows. Britt has a ton of action figures, which I teasingly call his "dolls," and he and Brady battle it out in the ring with all the characters he has collected over the past year. Sometimes we have a contest where one of us says a line and then the rest of us have to guess who it is - our own version of Charades. For the record, Brady does the best Randy Savage next to the Macho Man himself! Brailey can do a spot on Lana, Britt does a great Bray Wyatt, and I am pretty good at imitating Stephanie. Sometimes, we say the blessing before we eat in the form of one of these characters.
You might think we are crazy and obsessed - we are. But it has been so fun for us and good for our family. Britt spent his birthday money on WWE shirts. He waited until they had a sale, and he picked out some great shirts. Yes - he actually bought something useful with his birthday money - I love it! He wears a different WWE shirt to school every day, and sometimes on the weekends.
Brailey has had to channel her inner diva to deal with some social issues this year. This past Monday, her favorite Diva, Charlotte, reposted a picture I had posted of Brailey wearing her shirt on Instagram. When Brailey found out, she was ecstatic! I've never seen such a look of joy on her face. She is so positive she's going to be a Diva, she's researched all the wrestling schools in the nation and has asked to attend a local one for her birthday this year. Not gonna happen (this year), but still. Inspiring!
Both B's have become more motivated to be healthy. They work out every morning before school to get themselves strong. They want to be healthy. Hopefully, they are establishing life long habits. I thank the WWE for bringing this aspect of health into their lives.
So you get me? Do you see why I'm okay with the WWE? It's all about inspiration, good vs. evil, fun, humor, positivity, family time, and dreams. And as far as Family Soaps go, it's a great one!
