Another “Arlo and Janis” comic touched an emotion in me the other day:
As I write this, I look out at the old basketball pole and backboard that we still have in the driveway, and remember how it used to see better days. Many hours were spent not only playing with my kids, but with all the family, neighbors, and friends of my kids. It’s bent because as the kids grew and got more adventurous, they would use the mini-trampoline we had and bounce on it to do a slam dunk. Unfortunately, they would also hang on the rim like a lot of pros do, and eventually the hoop got its permanent lean to it. I still call it the “Leaning Tower of Former Power.”
I know that one day we’ll probably take it down, and I’m sure if we asked the kids like Janis was doing in the comic, they’d probably say the same thing---and I’d have that same sorrowful look that Arlo had. Now, if it could make it until the kids were older, I’m sure they’d say “No!” since they’d remember all the good times they had playing with it.
However, I don’t think it has too many years left…
I really enjoyed reading your blog. It brought a lot of memories back when I use to play basket ball with my son in our driveway. Those were the good old days. The basketball poll and net are gone now, but the memories are still their.
ReplyDeleteThis was an excellent blog. I enjoyed it because I can definitely empathize. I'm currently in the position of getting rid of the things that I left at my dad's house years ago when I moved out, and I am old enough to feel nostalgic about it. I'm sure that your kids will look back on that basketball hoop someday with fond memories, whether it's there or not. Also, you've inspired me. One of these days, I may have to start my own blog, just to keep the literary juices flowing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words, Lydia and Ryan! Pictures are one of the best way to evoke memories for me, and then write about them
ReplyDeleteIt seems that you are not alone. My family has a portable net. It has been knocked down, more time than I can count, by strong winds. In order to keep the net straight, the base is at such an angle, it’s almost parallel.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teenager, my parents always reminded me, while I was shooting baskets, to be careful not to hit the glass windows of the garage doors underneath the hoop. Now, as a homeowner, I'm alway reminding my nephews to not hit the cars parked dangerously close to the hoop attached to our garage.
ReplyDeleteJoe, how many times did you hit those windows? :-)
ReplyDeleteRobin, the way mine is getting lower every year, I'll soon be able to dunk---without leaving the ground. :-)
Surprisingly, I didn't hit the windows at all! My sister did it instead...
ReplyDelete