Cousin Bruce

This is my cousin Bruce. He was a professional tennis player and now is the Director of Tennis at a fancy schmancy place in Maryland. He was always my image of an athlete.

One time, when I must have been around 18 or 19 we played tennis at the tennis club. I played my best tennis of my life. I could do no wrong, and yet still, he was toying with me. He kept lobbing the ball up and land it directly on the T. I slammed it each time with all my might and he barely got to it, lobbing it up once again only to land perfectly on the T. I would drop shot, perfectly, and he would stretch and get it at the last second, I would lob over his head, he would sprint back and just grab it, I would drop shot again and over his head again and slam and slam and slam and each time, he would lob it up and hit that T.

I got exhausted and quit when the score was 5-4 or something. I couldn’t move.

He went bald a few years back probably as punishment for putting me through that, but I always wondered; How good could I have been with more training? I loved playing tennis. My 2 weeks in tennis camp were 2 of the best weeks of my life. I haven’t played once since moving to California. I haven’t played any pool either. And my cue got lost in the move from Berkeley. I had to quit softball this year to help Katie with the baby.

Sport is important. It is good for the soul.


Comments

One response to “Cousin Bruce”

  1. See, if you had stayed in New York clearly your life would have been better.

    The NY climate is definitely better for tennis. And there aren’t any pool halls in CA. Also, the environmental hazards in NY make men sterile so you wouldn’t have an extra baby to take care of… ???!

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