When I first came to America and settled in Rochester I taught for the City School District.
One day I happened to take a shortcut through the gym where some of my students were playing basketball. Now I should tell you right away that I had never played basketball—-I’m a football player (soccer I mean) and I haven’t been able to get past the fact that the players never seem to kick the ball or how the referees allow all those handballs, seems unfair to me—-and anyway when I went to school in England the girls played a game called netball that was remarkably identical to basketball and that left me with an inerradicable unease with the game.
So that was the background I brought to crossing the gym that fateful day. “Yo Mr H-B!” one of my students cried as he caught sight of me, and promptly but casually tossed the ball to me. Caught at unawares I caught the ball, one-handed as I had books and files under the other arm, and, forgetting my lack of history with the game, I threw the ball to make a perfect basket—from somewhere near the center line!
Boy! Did I impress those students—it was well worth the sacrifice of never taking that shortcut again to be on the safe side.
And of course I’ve never touched a basketball since.
Think of it: one hundred percent of my shots for my entire basketball carreer scored.
My husband bought me a .22 rifle when we were dating (we jokingly call it my Valentine’s Day gift). I’d never touched a gun before, as my mother has a positive horror of them…also, “girls don’t play with guns”. The first time my husband took me shooting, I got a bullseye, first try. However, I STILL enjoy shooting, and that was 33 years ago.
An Australian I knew years ago told me he killed a bird (by accident) the first time he ever threw a boomerang. The bushmen who were with him were mightily impressed.
@K.C. Fahel“girls don’t play with guns”. Nobody should PLAY with guns.They demand respect for their ability to make holes near and far. I assume you’ve been careful.
Richard Howland-Bolton Premium Member about 9 years ago
She did the right thing!
When I first came to America and settled in Rochester I taught for the City School District.
One day I happened to take a shortcut through the gym where some of my students were playing basketball. Now I should tell you right away that I had never played basketball—-I’m a football player (soccer I mean) and I haven’t been able to get past the fact that the players never seem to kick the ball or how the referees allow all those handballs, seems unfair to me—-and anyway when I went to school in England the girls played a game called netball that was remarkably identical to basketball and that left me with an inerradicable unease with the game.
So that was the background I brought to crossing the gym that fateful day. “Yo Mr H-B!” one of my students cried as he caught sight of me, and promptly but casually tossed the ball to me. Caught at unawares I caught the ball, one-handed as I had books and files under the other arm, and, forgetting my lack of history with the game, I threw the ball to make a perfect basket—from somewhere near the center line!
Boy! Did I impress those students—it was well worth the sacrifice of never taking that shortcut again to be on the safe side.
And of course I’ve never touched a basketball since.
Think of it: one hundred percent of my shots for my entire basketball carreer scored.
Wren Fahel about 9 years ago
My husband bought me a .22 rifle when we were dating (we jokingly call it my Valentine’s Day gift). I’d never touched a gun before, as my mother has a positive horror of them…also, “girls don’t play with guns”. The first time my husband took me shooting, I got a bullseye, first try. However, I STILL enjoy shooting, and that was 33 years ago.
Kerovan about 9 years ago
“Golf is a Good Walk Spoiled” – Mark Twain
Retired Dude about 9 years ago
An Australian I knew years ago told me he killed a bird (by accident) the first time he ever threw a boomerang. The bushmen who were with him were mightily impressed.
SporadicFire about 9 years ago
Left handed golfer. I don’t think the had left handed clubs have been invented yet……
pamlicorat about 9 years ago
I got a hole in one an my first shot too. Granted it was putt-putt and in the wrong hole, but to a 4 year old, a hole in one is a hole in one.
David Huie Green LosersBlameOthers&It'sYOURfault about 9 years ago
@K.C. Fahel“girls don’t play with guns”. Nobody should PLAY with guns.They demand respect for their ability to make holes near and far. I assume you’ve been careful.
jtviper7 about 9 years ago
" His head exploder "..That’s dy-na-mite
Mowog about 9 years ago
My golfing buddy is such an inveterate liar that when he scored his hole-in-one he put down “0” on his card.
neverenoughgold about 9 years ago
Golf today is a game for the idle rich, not the working poor..Unless, of course, you get a sponson…
Skylark about 9 years ago
I love the literal puns here!