Someone Else's Joy

Sometimes your greatest joy is being witness to someone else's joy. And so it was that I went to Harbor Yard Arena so see WWE Extreme Championship Wrestling and Smackdown. Because what kind of birthday present do you get for the guy who doesn't really want much? The one and only thing he really, really wants but wouldn't even hint at.

His joy and excitement was palpable. He was so damn happy.

A warning, though:

If you would like to keep your hearing, if you you have post traumatic stress disorder, if you feel even vaguely uncomfortable with racist stereotypes, if you have an aversion to seeing grown men wearing man panties, you might wanna skip a visit to WWE Live.

For the uninitiated, above is Jeff Hardy and Triple H executing a suplex.

WWE is like religious circus. There are rituals, calls and responses, hand gestures, music, special names for each of the characters, and a very definite codified system of beliefs and behaviors. There are founding fathers and mothers, to whom tribute is paid. There is smiting, banishment, betrayal, transcendance, and redemption. There are glow sticks. Also, there are incredible acrobatics, gymnastics, cages and costumes. (And like I said, lots of man panties).

Hey - wonder if Krishna Das and Sharon Salzberg wanna tag team against, say, The Undertaker and R-Truth? That I would go see.