This was taken from notes jotted down…oh about a month ago.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, one of the first signs of fall is the start of soccer season. A few weeks before school even starts, coaches are rallying up kids and working them through drills, strategies and joyful scrimmages. Mimi chose to switch teams this year. The new team is a little further away, in fact, most of the girls on her new team to to a different school. Of course this means that the practices and games are a little further away than we are used to as well. With no one nearby to carpool with, I get to do all the driving. (Or rather be the passenger while Mimi and her learner’s permit take the wheel) Instead of just dropping Mimi off, I chose to wait for my girl and bring a book to keep me company as I waited in the car.
“Liam, tie your shoes again!”
I hadn’t counted on the gorgeous day to distract me from my novel. It was a truely dazzling day and I realize that it would be foolish to waste. I decided to go on a short walk. Short, of course, is relative. This particular field is actually a collection of sixteen soccer fields and called 60 Acres. I took a deep breath and started on what was surely 12 thousand mile jaunt.
“OK girls, you need to focus. How badly do you want to win the trophy anyways?”
There was so much going on in every corner of the fields. Both girls and boys from the tiny ones just learning to play to seasoned high school kids were out practicing. Nearly every person out there was talking or yelling at the top of their lungs. It cracked me up as I found my self momentarily surrounded by a group of boys jogging by. One of them was earnestly asking the others if they all used a lot of conditioner. I started paying attention to the snippets that I heard as I passed by.
“Mike, pay attention! Mikey, step it up! Mike step up! MIKE! STEP UP! Oh Mike…”
The leaves are starting their yearly metamorphosis. They are still lush and green, but I can see the subtle change of color around the edges of them. I admire the first scarlet leaves littering the grass. Soon the ground will be covered with crunch leaves in vibrant hues.
“All right Abby! That’s the way to dribble!”
A young couple ambles by pushing a baby stroller before them as they softly talk in French with their heads close together. A mother gently tosses a softball to her young son while he valiantly struggles to catch it in what looks like a brand new mitt. Yet another young woman cuddles with her child on a blanket in the grass as they read a book together.
“Bruce, what time is it now?”
I breath in the heavenly scent of freshly mown grass. Then abruptly cough as the air becomes tainted by the sharply astringent stench of the Honey Bucket air sanitizer. I pick up my pace to get away from the well used Honey Buckets a little quicker to get away from it.
“Ok guys, take a quick water break. Everyone be sure to drink some, I want to keep you hydrated”
I pass a few other lone women and one man walking by in the other direction. They are very focused on their Power Walking and barely make eye contact with me. I can only hope that they are able to notice what a beautiful day it is. I have no idea if there are other people walking counter clockwise as I am…we are all space far apart. It is a huge field.
“Don’t touch it, don’t touch it! More zig zag ladies…that’s it!”
Mimi glances up, sees me, then ignores me as I pass the where her team is practicing. I smile bitter-sweetly as I remember that once upon a time she would have abandoned her team mates and come running to greet me. I chose to respect her teenage mind-set and pretend that I don’t know her either.
“I got her this gorgeous pink plaid that was pleated perfectly. I just know she’s going to love it!”
I finish walking the entire perimeter of sixteen soccer fields, hoping that I beat Mimi back to the car. I was pretty shocked to find that only fifteen minutes had passed. It seemed as though I had no choice but to walk around again. (Honestly, how could I resist?)
“Check out that hot guy over there. No, don’t look now, he’ll see you!”
I pass a group of moms sitting in a circle in their soccer chairs absorbed only with each other. They are talking about their dinner plans. Not too far away from them a woman sits alone in her chair watching them. She smiles at me as I pass by. On my second pass I see that the woman has been joined by another and they are happily talking about their sons in Spanish. It lightened my heart to see that she has a companion now.
“Did you hear that he had a heart attack?”
As I finish up my second lap, I started noticing how many parents were sitting in their cars waiting for their offspring. I was so glad that I had chosen to get out and walk around the soccer fields. I had no idea how much I had been missing out on.
“Mom! Are you ready to go? Did you have a nice walk….”