The Afterthought

Scene Opens to a locker room everyone is chatting, and getting dressed

Okay you know how to do this one leg at a time. Are the shin pads tight enough? Ya they are on good.

Now to put the skates on the longest part. How is everyone already done I was the first one here?

Just ignore them, let them talk, you need to focus. put your skates on grab the strings pull, grab the next ones and pull, pull, pull, pull until you have nothing left in you to pull with.

Okay the skates are on, what did I forget, I feel like I am forgetting something?

Oh ya….that…..the thing that shows everyone that I am weak, that I am vulnerable. Should I use it and face the stares or skip it a risk an asthma attack out on the ice where it counts?

You know what, who cares what they think of me, if it makes me a better player than I need to use it!

Okay shake it up, don’t draw too much attention to yourself, take the cap off, take a deep breath in……...and out……...now before they realize take a puff. POOF! Wow that was loud, and they noticed, they are looking, what do I do?

I need another puff but now I’m vulnerable like a deer caught in headlights, I am already halfway across the street but maybe if I stay here the car will stop and turn around so I can keep going in privacy.

Nope, I am not so lucky. The car is staring right at me waiting for me to make my move, so I guess that I should continue not ever looking back.

Breath in……..and out……...in…….and out…….here it comes…...PUFF!

Thank god that’s over, and here comes the coach ready to provide his words of wisdom.

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That’s it, that’s all you got!?!? Play hard he says, pass the puck he says. Gee thanks coach, couldn’t have thought of those on my own.

What time is it?

Oh it’s game time, we gotta go.

Stand up make sure everything feel good, loose yet tight, that’s what to look for.

Where is my stick? Oh of course, right next to me. My glowing red stick was hiding in plain sight.

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Step out onto the ice and scan the scene. The first thing to always look at is the opponent. How big are they, do they wear glasses, are there any girls on their team, how many players are there.

I always need to know just how intimidated I should be.

So lets see, they are huge and in more ways than one. Holy crap there must be twenty of them and they each must be six feet tall each, I can only imagine how the younger kids on my team must feel.

They don’t look nervous. If they aren’t nervous, then why should I be nervous? Am I just a panicky person, or are they ignorant.

Oh well, I need to shake this off and focus, it’s time to put everything aside and play the game.

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Coach is announcing the lines, he will probably put me out first, I played really well last week and I think he finally noticed.

Doug, Pat and Murph. Pat, Murph, and Doug. Murph, Doug and Pat. No mention of me. Never a mention of me.

How hard do I have to work just to show I am as good as everyone else. No one works harder than me, no one has more skills than me and yet week after week it’s as if I am a ghost.

Do I have to score 10 goals in a game just to be an afterthought?

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Okay it’s my turn, here comes my teammate, I am going out to the promised land! The welcoming ice glows. Where is the puck, wait…..is that it? It is up for grabs, right in front of me! Reach out and take it, it want you as much as you want it. Is someone coming? I feel like someone is…...boom! Where did he come from? Where am I now?

Gather your thoughts stand up and hit him back. Of course, he doesn’t fall, but at least I hit him enough to steal the puck back.

Now I am on a break away, there is one guy in front of me. Get low, left right….ooooohhh I just made him look silly. In I go and I see another guy ahead. I begin to make my move when I hear my teammate.

“I’m open!” He says.

Do I pass it and let him have the glory or try it myself.

Would he pass to me? Definitely not. So why should I do the same?

I go to make the move and it works but not fast enough because I’ve been caught from behind. Now I have no choice. I quickly get the puck away from me as I crumple to the ice and to my open teammate who scores.

We win! We are going to the finals! Everyone surrounds him, congratulating him.

He is the hero. Not me, I am an afterthought.