No Place Like Home

Friday night, Mark and I travelled back in time, with our two boys in hand, to where it all began. (I believe there should be some swirly colorful imagery going on in your mind right now, with some “Oooohs” singing in the background.)

We entered the Edgemont High School gym at 6:00 pm, to watch the Edgemont Panthers vs. the Scarsdale Raiders Bronx River Cup Wrestling Meet. You might think this presented a conundrum for us. We grew up in Edgemont, but now live in Scarsdale. Who ever to root for? No quagmire there. Panther pride all the way.

And, we weren’t alone. The Edgemont Wrestling Alumni are a tight-knit group. So, it should be of no surprise that a bunch of those former singlet-donning gentlemen were there in full force. That includes my hubby. By the way, it takes a real man to wear that get-up. Just sayin’.

It’s hard to believe that 25 years ago, I sat in that exact gym, on those exact bleachers, watching those same gentlemen take the mat. But, it was, and it is.

I can’t tell you what music they were pumping through the speakers Friday, but I can easily remember the song “Lunatic Fringe” from Vision Quest blaring right before Mark took position. It may have been something from ACDC, but those are just details. I know. I’m such a child of the eighties.

The match was great … time to catch up with old friends, and wax nostalgic. There’s something about Edgemonters. We’re connected. And, we stick together. I did marry my fellow 1990 classmate. You can’t get much more “stuck” than that.

Here we are in our “Alumni” section, enjoying the night:

(Row 1: Sam Lippmann, Jake Lippmann. Row 2: Kim Orce Aslanian ‘87, Sharon Handelsman Lippmann ‘90, Mark Lippmann ‘90, Ken Orce ‘85. Row3: George DiChiara, Mike Norris ‘87, Chip Waldrup ‘87, Mike Atholz ‘87. Not pictured, Greg Florio ‘87.)

At every turn, you could hear Mark telling our boys, “Daddy used to practice in there. It was really hard work. That’s the coach. I had to maintain my weight class. Daddy used to wrestle with these guys. Daddy used to watch Mommy walk down this exact breezeway.” (Okay, I may have added that last one. What? It was a lot of wrestling talk.)

Well, they seemed real interested. (Can’t you tell from their enthused expressions captured above?) Their excitement was like watching water come to a very slow boil. I knew I should have brought their electronic diversions. Next time.

Ultimately, what struck me most Friday night, were the amount of alumni still connected to Edgemont’s wrestling program. The wrestling coach, Pete Jacobson, is an Edgemont graduate, class of 1996. Coach Jacobson says, "It's really something special to be able to coach a sport that I love, that has been such a big part of my life, and from which I have learned so many lessons. And then, to be able to coach in the school I grew up in, just makes it even better…it’s the most humbling and inspiring thing I've ever been a part of."

Friend, current Edgemont resident and EHS class of 1987 graduate, Kim Aslanian was there to cheer on three of her boys in Friday’s match; Kyle, Tyler and Trey. Those Aslanian boys are crushing it. Trey and Tyler are both First in Section 1, while Kyle is hot on their heels. Damn. Must be something in that Edgemont water.

Kyle Aslanian, 8th grade, won 11-5. Trey Aslanian, 11th grade, pinned his opponent in 3.2 minutes (2nd Period). Tyler Aslanian, 10th Grade, pinned his opponent in 3.10 minutes. Kim Orce Aslanian, Proud Mom to six and three star Edgemont Wrestlers.

I asked the Aslanian brothers, “So do you ever think about the fact that you all wrestle for Edgemont and that your Mom went there?”

Their simultaneous and very succinct answer, “No.” We all had a little laugh, but I couldn’t let it go at that. So, I added, “But, you do know how cool that is, right?”

And, again simultaneously and just as succinctly, they responded with an emphatically sincere, “Yeah.”

Edgemont didn’t win the meet overall. But, for all of us alumni cheering on the sidelines, you would have thought they won by a landslide. We were thrilled to just be there, back in our old Edgemont gym, reminiscing and supporting a whole new generation of Panthers and Raiders alike. (Congratulations go to Scarsdale on this well-earned win.)

Undoubtedly, one of the greatest gifts Mark and I received, from our parents, was their choice of “hometown.” I hope that our boys, Sam and Jake, will feel that way long after they’ve left our nest. If nothing else, I know they’ll grow up with a sense of fierce Raider pride, just as we still harbor our own intensely loyal Panther pride.

Perhaps, one day, they will choose to settle back in their “hometown” of Scarsdale. And, just maybe it will be with their wives, who are very possibly sitting next to them right now in their kindergarten and third grade classes. Who knows? Crazier things have been known to happen.

(Picture at top: Courtesy of the Edgemont High School 1987 Yearbook.)

Contributor Sharon Lippmann, writes about her "so called suburban life," as a proud resident of Scarsdale, NY. She is a writer, blogger, mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend and one sassy chick. She loves exploring the interesting, strange, perplexing, vexing, ridiculous and funny that life offers up frequently. Enjoying more of what she has to say about nothing, and, well, everything at mydailypill.com .