Possumblog

Most poignant thing gotten rid of?

Well, it was red, and had the number 60 on the side of it.

Worn for three season, and full of the scars of three years of headbutting.

My old football helmet.

When we moved in, I had it in a box over back behind some stuff. One day several years back something fell on it, and the face mask's little plastic clips--having been turned to hard brittle chunks--gave way and the face mask popped off. Oh well.

Finally got to it Saturday, back in behind all that junk. ::sigh:: Full of mouse turds, the cheek and cranium pads gnawed, and all the inside yellowed with murine micturition.

That was the only helmet I ever had, and it was one that my dad had purchased because none of the helmets we had at school were any good. Its red paint and black and white stripes and white numerals had been put on fresh the first year, and then repeatedly bashed off for the next three years. This was back before schools got so high-falutin' as they are nowadays and helmets didn't get painted after every game. Or even after every season. Anyway, I kind of liked the look of the scars. I seem to recall some of the junior high bench warmers (not that we had that many--maybe only five or so) who'd take it upon themselves to knock their helmets around so as not to look like such bench warmers.

I had intended to keep the old thing. It reminded me of a certain time in my life about which I don't have an awful lot of glowing warm memories, and I always imagined myself telling the kids about my time on the field. But I stood there looking at it, full of droppings and dirt, and I just had to throw it away. Stuffed it in the garbage can, dropped a pile of other junk on top, and that was it. Rebecca had been out helping me all morning, and what aghast that I'd thrown it away--"DADDY! That was your FOOTBALL HELMET!"--but I told her it was old and filthy dirty, and there just wasn't much reason to keep it anymore.

Anyway, I do still have my cleats--nice pair of REALLY old-style black hightops made out of kangaroo hide that have managed not to get torn up or mousebitten.

I figure they've still got some stories to tell.

And anyway, I do still have the pictures--

Posted by Terry Oglesby at May 1, 2006 12:13 PM