I cannot be more proud of my wife.

If you know me, you also know I don't use the word "proud" in a positive connotation.  I use it to indicate foolishness and lack of humility.  In this case, I think it's apt.  I brazenly defy you to find a better woman than my lady.

This is my wife standing with her mom after her first roller derby bout last night.  This is The Original Skankster.

She didn't get much playing time, and it was very obvious that it was her first bout, but the woman she's become since she's starting skating has been amazing.

Before Mo and I got married, she was a social butterfly.  Well, as much as she could be.  Her mutant power is that she can make anyone feel awkward.  Regardless, she had lots of people that wanted her attention.  Somehow, I won enough of that attention that she decided it'd be a good idea to spend forever with me.

When we got married, she took on a bit more of my personality than I expected, including my low threshold for crap and my high threshold for regular social interaction.  She lost some of her confidence (she often says she's intimidated by my intellect, even though I think she's nuts).

In March of this year, she decided that she would pursue roller derby.  I remember distinctly the trip down to Derbyville so Mo could get her first pair of skates, and watching her eyes light up as she found the pair that she loved.  I remember where I was each time she came home to announce she'd been invited to another level of practice, when she was invited to scrimmage, and when she learned when her first bout would be.  With each step, she became stronger.  The confidence she gained caused her to push herself harder, which helped boost her confidence in some fantastic positive feedback loop.

The organization (or sometimes lack thereof) and politics of roller derby annoy the crap out of me.  That said, the roller derby girls Mo skates with have been the most accepting and loving people girls. They've helped her out, they've taught her, and they've made her feel like she fits in (which is a feeling that is essentially non-existent with both of us).  They've helped transform my wife into a better version of herself.

So yeah. I'm proud of my wife. I bet she can beat up your wife.