Down to earth battles of a different kind

Yaha! We made the best of the world cup soccer ferver by actually playing! About two days back, I had one of my cravings to go out and buy something nice. What better to get than a shiny new, size 5 adidas soccer ball- with FIFA approved size and weight. It really is a thing of beauty, with the air within, of course. An added indulgence was a set of 4 orange marker cones to serve as goal posts- bags and books being a thing of the past. However, the matter of fact is that no amount of admiration for a soccer ball can match the actual act of playing. A bunch of us got together today and satisfied what I think is one of my most primitive urges. I soared high as the ball did, the difference being that I never came back to the earth while the ball was forced to follow its cyclical fortunes- against its wishes maybe. Every kick was ecstacy and every goal was an act of God. Every shove had an objective and every throw in had a profound meaning and its own special purpose on the face of the earth. In the deepest of my imaginations, there were also the dead and departed ghosts of previous soccer players, ones who had graced the field before us, standing by the sideline- cheering us, waving to us, begging to be included in a very much mortal team. Long live mankind, Long live soccer!