Another over-optimistic moment

Embarrassing  moments such as the one I described when a wall limited any further forward movement on an optimistic booze fuelled bicycle ride across a pub car park reminded me what a couple of pints can do to raise your optimism and climb metaphorical mountains.
I suppose spinach did it for Pop Eye but it never ends to amazing me how a stimulating drug, what ever is on the label, can push the mind out of its conservative reference into 'I can take on the world'. Is it that we inherently play down our role in life and seek the safety of playing safe. In some ways it seems a pity since with a bit more mental goading who knows how far we might have travelled.

In the days, pre 1994 South Africa and especially in Johannesburg  Professional Wrestling was popular. The tournaments always garish, always over the top introduced these huge men, sometimes fit sometimes a bit out of condition to put on a show. We always knew it was entertainment rather than a true sporting contest but each fighter had his following and it was especially spiced up when the promoter brought in opponents from overseas to fight the local lad.

Sitting in a pub one Saturday afternoon with a couple for friends I had reached that moment when the alcohol had placed me above and beyond and certainly outside rational thinking. Sitting not far away at the bar were two of these overseas wrestlers, each weighing over 20 stone (127 kg). They were sitting, minding there own business, two lads from Yorkshire over to make some "brass" fighting the local gorillas. For some reason I decided that this wrestling game was not what it was made out to be and anyone, "me" could put a 'headlock' on one of these chaps, not to cause a fight but out of that Olympian desire to compete. Puffed up with stimulated bravado  fuelled by a pint or three I walked up to this innocent guy and, putting my arm around his neck in an arm-lock said something like "get out of that" !!
The next moment or two was something of a blur but as my friend described afterwards, he simply stood up with me clinging to his massive neck and simply shook me off like a dog shaking water of its fur and I collapsed onto the floor. Game over set and match.
In the ensuing conversation, we became chums. Their coming from 'Gods own County' helped and soon we were swapping stories as if we had been born in the same street.
My wife, Marie had lent me her Mini and fuelled with beer and bohem I set off to show them the sights. The poor car. Can you imagine the sight of two huge men sitting on one side of this tiny car with me as a counterweight (11 stone when wet). The suspension must have wondered what hit it as we drove, virtually on two wheels rather than four, over the Queen Elizabeth Bridge on our way through Braamfontein to Witts University where I had had the marvellous idea we could have a swim in the university Olympic pool. Security not withstanding we swam and sobered up to finish yet another eventful day in the sputtering life of yours truly.