7 August, 2016

The Thrill of Victory….The Agony of Defeat!

Hi JoJo, I’m surprising myself this morning because I’m sitting here so pumped up about writing this installment that I’m actually starting it before I’ve photographed the pieces I’m writing about!! (smile)  That might be because 1) I don’t want to forget what I’m thinking now, and I want to put it on paper, and 2) because this is already one of my favorite little themes that I’ve created!!

As I think also, the timing of this piece may have subliminally been inspired by the fact that the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio just got underway two days ago, and I’m sort of in a “sports zoned” frame of mind!! (ha,ha,ha,ha)  Back in those days I used to watch the opening and the closing ceremonies, and a few of the events in between.  I actually went to junior high and high school with a couple of athletes who ended up going to the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City!!

However, the pieces that I’ve added to my collection have enabled me to “drift back in time” to the days when I did indeed participate in competitive sports….AND…. if I do say so myself (smile)  I was pretty doggone good.  I wasn’t great, but I was good!! (ha,ha,ha,ha)

In the Air Force, I did play on base teams in Softball and Basketball (competing against the Army and Navy in a tournament at Ft McArthur in San Pedro, CA). I then played Football in Turkey (I was a wide receiver), and we played a game that was heard on Armed Forces Radio against the Army.  It is to this day, one of my most cherished athletic memories….I will never forget it!!

The title of this piece says it all….you may not remember but a gazillion years ago there was a sports themed TV show on ABC that was titled “ABC’s Wide World of Sports”.  Of course being a typically sports minded guy, I used to watch this show a lot because they covered a ton of different sports all over the planet, not just the major ones we follow here.  BTW….back in those days, Soccer did not have a major presence on TV, but I do like the Soccer ball in my collection, and at this writing I’m still pondering adding a Tennis ball….don’t know right now. So-o-o-o, I think I’ll stop here, and pick this up a bit later on!!

Okay….so I’m back.  As I write you now, I still haven’t pulled the trigger on buying the Tennis ball that I saw.  Mainly because the one I like is actually much bigger than the other balls (they’re each about 2 ½ inches in diameter, while the Tennis ball is about 3 ½ inches) and I’m not crazy about that kind of a size differential being discernible in the display.  By now you’ve already seen the photo layout I created.  So-o-o-o unless I find a smaller one, I will leave it alone….However….

Tennis Anyone….Another Sport Display??

I do have one other solution though.  There’s actually a Waterford Crystal Tennis Racket & Tennis Ball set that I could get.  If I then made a separate display I’d simply call it “Tennis anyone??” (smile) As a matter of fact as I think about it now, I wouldn’t mind at all purchasing that set, and having it be a stand- alone display with that title!!  It could also serve as an homage to the really great times I had playing after work, with some great co-workers with whom I was happy to have established very memorable friendships!!

Anyway….perhaps this was a bit of a departure from the original opening theme of this installment, but I am pleased to have written this portion.  It gives you a bit of an insight into the fact that some of the items I have are whimsical….some of them are poignant….some of them are just visually appealing to me….some of them hit some nostalgic notes….and some of them trigger fond memories of very nice people who’ve crossed my path as I’ve travelled my road of life!!  This particular trip down memory lane was a really pleasant one….I feel pretty good.