Forgotten Games

Near our house is an abandoned basketball court. One of the hoops has fallen down, the other is slowly being overtaken by an overgrown bush/weed-like plant. It is rundown, with weeds spreading through the cracked surface of basketball court. Since it has always been on private property, I often wonder how much use it got, back in the day. Were neighborhood children welcome to come play pick up games? Did the family have a child who loved basketball, spending hours out on the court, perfecting dribbling and shooting skills? Or was it just some novelty- nice to have but more for show than actual enjoyment?

Whenever I looked at it, I always felt such a sad feeling of long-forgotten games. And then my 5 year old grandson spotted it. His shout of joy could be heard all around. He ran as fast as his legs could take him, pushing his way through the overgrown weeds to stare up in wonder at the basketball hoop, so far above him. Before his daddy could even reach him, he was back on his way up to the house, his voice reaching us long before he made it to the door. “We need to get a basketball!”

Through his eyes, I no longer saw something old and useless. Feelings of hope and anticipation replaced the sadness. Even if there never was a child out on that court working on controlling the ball and scoring those points, I suspect that when little CJ comes to visit, that will all change.

This post is in response to the Photo Blogging Challenge prompt- Games.

Writer’s Quote Wednesday- Carson McCullers

Carson McCullers- American writer

Born- February 19, 1917

Died- September 29, 1967

She published 8 novels. Her best known works are The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1940), Reflections in a Golden Eye (1941), and The Member of the Wedding (1941), which were also made into film adaptations.

I chose this quote by Carson McCullers because The Member of the Wedding was the first book I read that inspired me to dig below the surface of the words. We read it in my high school English class and although we read books that went on to become lifetime favorites, this one struck a chord. It talked about feeling like a misfit, not belonging,… and at 16 I was feeling all of that and more. Her words hit close to home and I loved analyzing the story so much that I was eager to hunt down her other books and read them, too. It was another first for me. Although I was an avid reader, this was the first time I searched out an author’s books outside of my usual Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew and re-readings of Alice in Wonderland.

“The writer by nature is a dreamer- a conscious dreamer.”

Isn’t that an understatement? When I’m really in the zone, there is a dream-like quality to my days. Whatever I’m writing that has grabbed my attention is with me at all times. My mind strays to the topic. Sentences form in my head. If it’s a story, characters come out to play. If I’m lucky, the characters are doing something that has to actually do with the story!

I’ve had some characters lurking around the corners of my consciousness. I see them peeking and when they realize they’ve been spotted, they bolt. One or two wave shyly, ducking their heads, before fading away. I’m excited and a bit scared. It’s been a while since I’ve had this feeling- and conscious dreaming sums it up! So, in an effort not to lose it, I’m taking notes and trying to make sense of it, hoping it takes shape and becomes an actual story!

And when I’m not playing hide and seek with characters, I’m always thinking of possible post topics. I think you have to be a dreamer to write. You have to be open to the possibilities of anything and everything!

Special thanks to Colleen at Silver Threading for hosting the weekly event!