PHOTO PROMPT © Kent Bonham
“Good job,” the foreman congratulated us, “Fit to produce the next England World cup legends.” I gazed at the all-weather pitch in its perfect rectangle with its spirit level flat surface. Climbing in my car, I wondered how I was going to manoeuvre through the ranks of other cars crowding the street and then I thought about the legends of 66. They honed their skills controlling the uneven bounce, dribbling up hill, judging the unreliable rebound from balls slammed into bins and lampposts. Hardship has always been the mother of invention and creativity. Maybe we’re missing the point somewhere.
Written for Friday Fictioneers – a 100 words story based on a photo prompt. Hosted by Rochelle. Read the other entries here.
Michael Wynn 
Hmmm. Maybe we are missing a point.
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I think in our desperate desire to help people achieve, we sometimes remove some of the necessary ingredients. After all The Beatles had to do their apprenticeship in the Cavern and Hamburg, these days people go on talent shows and have a number one a week later
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Able to cope with that difficult pitch, then sign here. Welltold Michael
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You need to be prepared to be able to deal with the uneven bounce
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Well-done, Mike! We are missing a point. Several of them. Hardship IS what makes the legends.
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Certainly it doesn’t help removing all the tougher parts because when faced with them in life, we don’t know how to cope
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Very true … about hardship.
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Thank-you. I think we certainly have to be allowed experience it, to understand it and thrive when presented with it
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The easy option while quicker, in the short term, is not always the correct option. Hardships don’t build character, they reveal it. Oh hang on, I am not commenting on your story. Sorry. It got me thinking, which is a good thing, right?
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You’re right. What happens when someone experiences an uneven bounce for the first time? They don’t know how to deal with it, it’s wrong to eliminate them from young lives, experience has no substitute
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Don’t get me started on footballers and their ridiculous pay… Clever piece, Michael.
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Thanks Sandra. The money in football is ridiculous all round and has spoilt a lifetimes pleasure for me.
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Hardship makes you stronger and adds character. i think your story is so interesting – I had a hard time figuring it out – but WOW – Nan
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Thanks Nan. It was all about if you take away the hard bits, albeit with good intentions, the grown person will cope less well in the future. I used football but it could be anything in life. Pop stars don’t seem to have to slog away in pubs and clubs learning their trade anymore.
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Nice. Some things are too easy nowadays.
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Thanks Draliman, I think so to the detriment of those trying to achieve
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Interesting thought – do they have it too easy these days? Being Scottish it’s hard to remember when we used to produce world-class footballers….
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I just feel if you remove the uneven bounce, the fight to keep it under control when you need that skill later on in life it won’t be there. It’s funny you should reference Scottish footballers, there is a dearth of world class ones at the moment and a lot of the best footballers come from poorer nations, from places where they don’t have state of the art facilities
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Very perceptive. Reminds me of something I read today
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/iq-has-fallen-since-victorian-age-and-genes-are-to-blame/articleshow/59678739.cms
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That’s interesting. Certainly I think you have to exercise all muscles, mental and physical if you want to achieve and carry on creating ever more wonderful things and breaking records
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So true. Thanks.
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One thing is for sure, you don’t learn from ease… and there is no sense of achievement if it was too easy to make…
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Exactly Dale, thanks
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ii’m afraid they have reached the point of no return.
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I think so, I don’t think we’re close to winning the world cup again
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Dear Michael,
The old saying is that ‘necessity is the mother of invention.’ We do always seem to miss the point. Well told story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle, that phrase was in my mind while writing this along with the memory of playing in the street, getting scolded by people when the ball went in their garden or smashed a window. 🙂
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Good one, including the title. WE make everything too easy in this generation and make them lazy!👌
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I agree, it’s with the best intention but at some point we have to say, it doesn’t work like that, you have to work at it
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Exactly! But they don’t want to hear!😔
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A very good point, well made! 🙂
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Thanks Clare.
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Great insight and story. In these cases it’s up to the coach to provide the hardship and ‘what-ifs’. Some do it well, others don’t, and that still makes a difference.
Your story reminds me of a task I had to do for an online course about academic writing. It was writing a review about a chapter of one of these ‘talent’ books that claim that everyone can achieve greatness. I have the review on my blog, if you’re interested: https://gahlearner.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/1coyledraftreview.pdf, and the rest of the assignments: https://wordpress.com/edit/jetpack-portfolio/gahlearner.wordpress.com/15
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Hmm, and all this time I thought lazyness was the Mother of Invention. It’s always served me well.
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My dad used to say, “Hard work never hurt anybody.” When you work hard and earn what you have you appreciate it all the more. Super approach to the prompt. 👍😊
Isadora 😎
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Yes! So many feel entitled these days without putting forth any effort. Well done.
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Loved the voice in this. I could just see the car curving his way up the street adopting those football moves, not that it necessarily did.
There are lots of things come too easy and aren’t appreciated, and yet others still struggle – things are out of kilter.
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A thought provoking essay.
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