Thursday, February 13th, 2020

The Versatile Smile

We sat in silence. The other team subbed in a lanky kid with wild hair, a gold headband, and impatience written across his face.  I wondered if he’d been a high school star who couldn’t understand why in college lesser mortals were starting in front of him.

The new guy hit the inside corner with a rifle shot. He barely acknowledged his teammates congratulations, staring across the net at Brat Boy with a look of utter contempt. He hit another kill shot. Brat Boy smiled. Let a smile be your umbrella.

Brat Boy blocked the new guy’s next shot.  In Brat Boy’s shoes, I might have returned the new guy’s look of contempt. Brat Boy smiled at him instead. Two points later he blocked him again. Bigger smile. The new guy yelled at the ref that Brat Boy had touched the net. He hadn’t.  

I almost felt sorry for the new guy. As the match went on, he played worse, touching the net, jumping too early, hitting ferocious shots four feet out of bounds. Brat Boy didn’t say a word, he just smiled more. Let a smile be your argument. 

Today I will let my smile be my umbrella and my argument.

2020 Vision ©2017 by Ken Montrose

2020 Vision is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/