Real football -- no pads!
What do you see in a photo?
My father sees his 1966 Chrysler station wagon.
I see my racing bike which could leap over dirt ramps.
A doctor sees my broken wrist and cast.
Who sees the fashionable pants?
Who sees the helmet and cleated shoes?
The brick wall?
The potted plant?
The cracked sidewalk?
The jersey?
The window shutter?
The type of photo paper?
The date?
What else do you see in this nine-year old boy staring back at you, unable to play football because of a plaster-of-paris cast?
treetrunkdings 
AWESOME post! It reminds of when my son was playing Little League football, and one of the best players got hit by a car while riding his bike. The poor kid, who was 11 or 12 (and is now 18), endured 30 or so operations to repair his ankle over the years. But EVERY single game, there he was on the sidelines, his foot in some type of cast or brace, cheering on his twin brother and wishing like hell he hadn’t jay-walked with his bike!
But as far as what I see, I see longing, sadness, and tolerance (for wearing THOSE pants)…great photo!
Thanks for sharing!
KS/TenaciousB
KS, you hit the nail on the head. It was the pants that did it. Seriously, there’s NOTHING like being on the sideline when you know you could play IF they had casts back then that could take a solid hit. Luckily, our team won its Little League championship game. Like your son’s teammate, I got to cheer for the team the best way I could, wishing my broken wrist would have healed more quickly, but having fun during the postgame celebration when the coach told my father and me an earlier game’s key play in which I blocked for the quarterback who then scored the only touchdown of the game was the reason we got to the championship game. Our coach was a great motivator — one of his children, a daughter, went on to become a pediatrician.
What a GREAT coach! My son’s coach was like that too, always very positive whether they won or lost. We need more people like that on the athletic fields instead of the high-pressure diehards who are much more concerned about WINNING… š
Have a good one!
KS/TenaciousB
Agreed.