SAVING HOOPS.......

THIS IS A SILLY LITTLE BLURB ABOUT HOW IN JULY, A STUPID INCIDENT NEARLY DOOMED OUR BASKETBALL HOOP.....AND HOW THE SMILE OF A CHILD AND THE WISE WORDS OF FRIENDS SAVED IT............

My kids are grown. Most times I'm an empty nester. I live on a corner, and have had a basketball hoop originally intended for my children on the side street. The base was secured by sand inside and flagstones outside, and has been in place, surviving the elements, for years and years. Many neighborhood youngsters still use the hoop. A high school aged neighbor practices his basketball skills there. Some smaller kids politely ring the doorbell to ask if they can use it. I've never said 'No', I just smilingly warn 'Okay but be careful in the street'. Many little familiar faces from the school where I work don't ask, but play joyfully, and when they see me come out of the house, they wave and smile and I wave and smile back. This weekend some disrespectful folks removed the flagstones and pushed the hoop on its side, possibly damaging the backboard. I know it's probably just a harmless little prank, but I find the lack of respect for people and property everywhere I go disheartening. It may not take a lot of effort to restore the basketball equipment to a usable position. I just want respect.....and I feel frustrated.  

I don't know why this incident has bothered me so much. I was very tempted to, and it would have been very easy to just throw the whole mess away. In the moment of hopelessness, I did something I try often not to do...I posted the details of the incident and my feelings toward it as a Facebook status.  I feel that when statuses are posted in times of anger, there can be regret and embarrassment, yet I felt the need to share my sadness... 

Fortunately, the day was spent away from home.  It was set tear down day for a production my son was in this summer, and it proved to be a perfect diversion from the situation.  When I returned to my Facebook page in the late afternoon, the advice from friends was unanimous, and confirmed what my instinct told me, but what my stubborn psyche wouldn't let me do until now.....accept the pranks of punks as just that, and fix the problem for the little ones.

Tonight I went outside and was able to lift the equipment back into place and reposition the flagstones. Within five minutes I heard a basketball bouncing again. I went out the front door, and lo and behold, one of the twins from school had returned to play. He saw me, smiled, and waved. We exchanged only a couple of words, but he was happy his play place was returned to him. The backboard and hoop may have been slightly misshapen, but he didn't care. His expressions; the wise words and the support of friends; and the fact that I can still lift that pole, backboard, and flagstones have made it a better day.