Rugby Tape If You Please

My oldest son had a rugby game yesterday. In his preparations he asked if I had any electrical tape he could use – I directed him to where I thought I had a cache of electrical tape all stored up for the day when I, Mrs. Fixit, would need it to fix any number of electrical wiring problems. “I already used all of that,” came the reply. “Don’t you have any more somewhere?”

“Hmmmm let me see … just at the store. What in the world did you use all that electrical tape for?,“ I queried.

“My shoes, Andy’s [names have been changed to protect the guilty] legs and head, and now I need some for my head,” echoed from the bathroom.

It was too much for my curiosity. I walked into the bathroom to see rugby preparations for myself. There he and his best buddy were in their rugby gear. My son’s shoes so heavily strapped with electrical tape you could hardly see the shoes underneath. His buddy’s thighs were wrapped in ace bandages with electrical tape criss-crossed all over them, and around his head covering his ears was another ace bandage secured with electrical tape. My son had his own ace bandage around his head, which is what he wanted the tape for, to secure it tightly.

“Why all the tape son?”

His response: “It is on my shoes so I can wear them without them falling apart.” [In Samoa sometimes you just have to make due – better than playing barefoot.]

“And on Andy’s legs?”

“So that when I lift him in the lineout I have something to hold onto.” Probably thinking, “Geez Mom, don’t you know anything about rugby?”

“And your heads?”

“Mom, you and Andy’s mom both told us to protect our ears. These are your own words mom, ‘you’re too handsome to go around with cauliflower ears the rest of your life.’”

“Okay, fair enough.” Smiling inwardly because all along this sporty, rugby-enthused Mom knew exactly what he needed and only wanted to revel in it. I pulled out my last roll of electrical tape from my pocket, and handed it over for the protection of my son’s handsome ears. “Make sure you put it back where it goes when you’re done.”

I wonder … if I need to fix any electrical wiring will I have to run out on the rugby field, make a killer tackle on my son (or his buddy), peel my broken body off the ground, grab the tape and run? Nah! I’ll just go buy another 20 rolls at the store – and invest in electrical tape stock while I’m at it.