# 11 Response to "Arm Wrestling with My Father"

In the story “Arm Wrestling with My Father” by Brad Manning, he talks about how he realized a change about his perspective about his dad that his dad is no longer the strong, physical man he wanted to compete with. He is kind of sad and guilty for wining his dad in arm wrestling that a perplexed feeling of not wanting to destroy an undefeatable legend began to pop out in his mind instead of enjoying the glorious victory. I think I have this kind of ideas and feeling with my father too. When I was small, I would constantly want to beat my dad in basketball. Like Manning’s dad, my father was extremely athletic and exceptionally good at basketball in my point of view when I was small. He would teach me how to dribble, layup, pump fakes, shoot the ball into the basket and all kinds of basketball moves. I would eagerly want to master these moves and challenge him on the court. However, every single game, like Manning’s experience, I would lose to my dad. My dad would win easily and beat me without even sweating while I was sweating, breathing hardly, and lying on the ground accepting my defeat. However, as I began to grow taller and physically stronger, I started to find that I was able to beat my dad easily. There is a sense of guilt in me that my once legendary nemesis whom I wanted to defeat so badly was too easily beaten now. I felt like I have destroyed some legendary characteristics of my dad. Now, whenever I challenge him to the game, he would say that I will definitely win in the end. This disheartened me that I felt like I have taken away some confidence in my dad.