You can’t ask to start over just because you’re losing the game.
-- Cynthia Copeland Lewis, “Really Important Stuff My Kids Have Taught Me”

It’s your turn to kick the ball. The bases are loaded, there’s one out, and your teammates are counting on you. The pitcher, the big burly kid from around the way, looks at you with a scowl, his most menacing scowl, the one that usually makes you flinch. Ah, but this time, you’re not giving his scowl any attention. This time you’re determined to kick that ball right over everybody’s head and bring your team home and to victory. This time, you’re going to kick that ball high and wide, not like last time 2 times when you kicked the ball directly behind your head then stomped off the kickball field and went home. No, this time, you’re going to kick that ball well.

Okay, so here comes the ball. Ooh, look at that spin on that red rubber ball! Look at the dirt and rock it’s kicking up! You can hear the rubber of the ball spinning and burning as it’s coming your way! The last 2 times the ball was coming at you like that, you called a time-out and swore you had a rock stuck in the bottom of your Chuck Taylor All-Stars that was making your foot hurt. This time, though, there are no rocks to give your attention to. You’ve got to kick the ball.

You set your eye on that fast ball, get your kick stance ready, and start a little run up on the ball, kicking up some dirt of your own. You position your body so that your aim is straight for the mean muggers head; you want to knock him out – even though the last 2 times you aimed at him, you ended up flat on your butt with dust circling your head. This time, he better be ready because the ball’s coming straight for him.

Suddenly the kickball spins on a rock that causes it to bounce and change direction. Good, you get another chance. This time you decide that instead of aiming for the scowler or kicking it in the outfield over everybody’s head, you’ll just make it a grounder, a fast one, that’ll burn anybody’s hand that tries to stop it. That’ll give you some time to at least make it to first base and send one of your teammates home. But then, the last 2 times you tried to ground the ball, one was bunt that mean menace caught and happily threw at your butt; the other landed in a muddy ditch which the team made you go get. This time, though, you’ll have more control with your grounder and make everybody have to jump over it until it slows down.

You’re back in kick position. Here comes the ball! You start your dusty run! POW! The ball flies way into the outfield! Everybody’s watching just where the ball will go, everybody except you. You’ve taken off. You touch the sticks at 1st base, the smashed tin cans at 2nd base, and just as you get ready to head for the bricks at 3rd base, the ball is back in the infield and you decide you better stay on 2nd. The last time you made it this far, you thought you’d chance it and make a run for 3rd, but you got caught in the middle of the 2 bases and burned for 20 minutes after the 2nd baseman threw the ball at your chest. This time you’ll stay on base until you’re sure you can make it to 3rd. At least you brought 2 of your teammates home.

The next kicker bunts the ball, gets a foul, then gets out and pouts back to the curb, cussing everybody that’s in his way. You know what he’s feeling. He hears the jeers and blame and feels really bad about himself. You know this because the last 7 times you did the same thing and everybody heckled you, you felt the same way. But you don’t have a lot of time to think on it because the next kicker’s up and he kicks the ball into the infield. You have enough time to run to 3rd base. You stop there, one foot on the bricks another headed in the direction of home. You can’t wait to make your grand entrance into the backpack that serves as home. The next kicker grounds it and mean mugger stops it with his foot, looks at you, and dares you to move. The last time you took the dare, you tripped over your shoe laces, scratched up both knees and an elbow, swallowed some dirt, and got out. This time, you’ll stay put.

The bases are loaded and there are 2 outs. The street lights begin to flicker so you know this is the last run of the game. The kicker eyes the bases. Scowler checks out the bases. You call a time-out to tie your shoes. When you finish and get back in position, scowler rolls the ball with as much force and fierceness as he can. The kicker sends it into the outfield, you take off to homebase and the other runners follow. You are overjoyed! You made it! This is the first time you’ve ever made it! You played a good game. You played with strategy, awareness, and thoughtfulness. You are very proud of yourself as you make it to your porch just as the streetlights come all the way on.

So, what’s the point?

Who knows?

But it was just a helluva kickball game!

Sadiqqa © 2007