We were spending the day at the tech museum in downtown San Jose and my son and I decided to step outside and take a walk around. We got about four blocks and then we ran into a street fair so we cruised on in. Down a side street, we saw a small group of people and a boxing style ring. As we walked closer toward the area, I thought it was going to be a wrestling show. Several people, in shtick persona, came out of a van and started screaming at each other outside the ring. I had never seen anything like this so I started snapping pictures. My son squeezes my shoulder and says, "I don't feel safe here". First off, I encourage my kids to say what they feel and even if it doesn't make sense immediately, I honor that. I said, ok let's get out of here. As we are walking away I asked him, have you seen that before (while asking, I realized we don't watch wrestling)? He says he hasn't and I tell him, that was all staged and did he feel uncomfortable because he thought it was real. We both started laughing, he did not know it was fake. I asked if he wanted to see what it was and we went back to look at the outrageousness. It is funny, not my cup of tea, but funny anyway that people really enjoy this. Just look at the smiles on some of the spectators.
As I look at the pictures I took, I see people, real people. I don't care if they are street wrestlers. They looked very passionate about what they were doing and for them it must be fulfilling.
I got a coffee literally 50 yards from the wrestling. I saw I person setting up for open mic. That guy is no different than the wrestler. A person doing what his heart tugs him to do. I don't see a difference between them. Both performing, maybe to different audiences, but performing nonetheless. To say that someone is stupid for doing one art or another is a perplexing human condition to be in. Is that a good human condition to be in? For me, it is not ideal and to be avoided.
I think until you see it for what it really is, it's easy to feel unsafe about it. I'm proud my son told me and I'm happy I supported that. Then, to give him the knowledge, go full circle and face what originally made it uncomfortable.
