There seems to be a universal “language” – and it’s the simple act of throwing and/or kicking a ball. I was in Boston a few weeks ago, and my older son and I were having a catch with a football at Boston Common (I use the word “catch” loosely, as he was throwing it and I was dropping it). After awhile, a man who seemed pretty down on his luck approached us and asked to join in. I would probably describe this man as homeless, but my son rightly told me I was “making unfair assumptions” – so I will simply refer to this man as being down on his luck. And let me tell you, this guy had an arm on him, and he and my son threw the football back and forth for quite some time.
Soon a young MIT student asked to join in on the catch (by this point I had removed myself entirely and was witnessing all of this from a park bench). The three of them had an absolute ball! And the fun did not end there. As we were walking back to our hotel, we happened to pass some police officers who saw my son’s football and also asked to join the catch, which continued all the way up Newbury Street! A 12-year-old boy, a man down on his luck, an MIT student, a few Boston cops and one beat up football.
Here’s to knowing that even in this age of iPhones and gadgets, sometimes the best way to start a “conversation” is just by throwing a ball.
Like what you read? Sign up for our free newsletter so you can be informed of the latest FREE webinars & teleclasses, parenting articles, & weekly raffles.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.
