On a bright and sunny day, in Mr. Johnson’s 10th grade English class, I was asked to write a narrative essay. The essay topic was to write about an inanimate object that I felt attached to. I have never been one to be sentimental about an object, but there are two objects which, in essence, are extensions of myself. They are my tennis racquets. Black and yellow Babolat Aero Pro Teams, they are quite possibly the best racquets that money can buy. However, I am attached to them for another reason, one that is far more powerful than any amount of money.
In the seventh grade, I made the rather enigmatic decision to quit baseball, my old passion, for a totally new and different one. It was tennis. My romance with tennis was love at first sight, like Forrest Gump and Jenny. I felt at ease on the court, as if I was in my own personal equilibrium in my gym shorts and T-shirt. Equipped with my Walmart-bought racquet, I was always ready to play. I was ready to have fun and to get better.
During this time, my now-deceased grandmother was very ill with dementia and epilepsy due to complications with her brain surgery. She might not have been well, but she continued to always want the best of everything for me. I remember walking into her hospital room during my weekly visit. With the sad-looking pale walls with no decorations except for photos of family, she still was upbeat.
“Drew darling! How are you? How is the tennis? Do you need new tennis stuff?” she asked.
“Are you sure? I bought you that old racquet years ago!”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Do you need a new one? Only the best for my grandchildren!”
“Actually, it would be pretty great if I could have a new one.”
Two weeks later, the racquets showed up on my doorstep, as if Chanukah had arrived six months early. That day, I stepped onto the tennis court with a boost of swagger. I was a different man. I was not a recreational tennis player. I became a devoted and committed player. Currently on the court, they force me to do something other than putting excessive topspin on the ball – they are a tangible reminder of Grammy. It is as if she is by my side when I play, as if she is my doubles partner; and for that, I will be forever grateful.
