Hamill-ton

I have a confession to make. I have the ability to be fully engaged in a conversation--listening, speaking, comprehending--while still hearing at least one other conversation happening near me. What this means is that, if you've spent time around me, I've probably heard one of your conversations without you knowing it. I'm not trying to eavesdrop, my brain just picks it up. So don't say bad things about me, unless you want me to hear.

Yesterday I was at a day retreat. As I was mingling with the women, I found myself talking to a woman who was raised in Hawaii. This led to us talking about Oahu and Kauai and Maui and surfing and Bethany Hamilton. I relayed the story about my seven-year-old surf obsessed child waiting in line for hours and hours to get Bethany's autograph.

On the other side of the table, at barely more than a whisper, a woman said to her friend, "Her son wanted meet that old ice skater?"

My attention was focused on the woman from Hawaii, who was in the middle of saying something, so I didn't want to shift my attention to this other woman, but I almost laughed out loud.

Bethany Hamilton. Dorothy Hamill. What's the difference?

Aside from a couple of decades, frozen water versus salt water, and blades versus boards.

Now I have the funniest image in my head of my seven-year-old son begging me to sit in line waiting for the autograph of a figure skater who is older than his grandmother.