Have you seen the AGL ad featuring the neighbourhood table tennis star, Jenny? The TV ad is about saving electricity, but every time my family sees it they look at me and laugh.
See, if we had the room in our garage for a table tennis table, I would be Jenny. The looks, the competitiveness, the smash hits. That’s me.
I am far from sporty, but get my hand on a table tennis bat and I become a bit crazy. I have to win. It goes back to having a table tennis table growing up. Maybe it was something I could beat my brothers at it. I can’t remember. I will have to ask them.
The next phase came on my honeymoon, when I discovered a table tennis table in the games room. My husband asked if I wanted to play. I nodded and the feeling swept through me. I won the first set, then the 2nd. The best of 3 became the best of 5. My husband could not believe I was winning.
He improved a bit, but I was still champion. I was ecstatic – I had beaten my then football-playing, surf-boat rowing sporty husband at a sport. Imagine how that felt.
My son is now 11 & he is showing signs of following in my footsteps. Did you hear us screaming from Anglesea this weekend as we tensely completed against each other in a round robin competition in the games room at the Anglesea Big 4 holiday park?
I won against Mr 10 – he won against my husband. I lost against hubby – he lost against Mr 10. It was a grudge match to the end. I had to beat my hubby. He had never before got such an upper hand. Then finally, I rolled him. The game was over.
You may think we are strange, but I don’t think you will. I think you are nodding because we will not be the only family with such a quirk. That’s because in its own slightly crazy way, it is this type of family bonding activity that help make family holidays so special.
Does your family have a special bonding activity on family holidays? I’d love to know about it.