The high school gym still smells the same

My wife and I have lived in this small town since we were born.

  • We went to the same High School, even though we were a few grades apart.

I played basketball and soccer, and my wife played field hockey and lacrosse. My wife and I grew up only seven miles away from each other. We met when school was finished and we got married and had a few children. One of our boys is old enough to play basketball for the varsity team. He is a starting freshman and he has a great jump shot. He is going to outscore a lot of seniors this year. My wife and I went to the first game a few days ago. John scored 22 points in the first half alone. I couldn’t believe the range and accuracy this kid displays. I never had that skill or determination. The old gym smells the same. I remember that awful smell distinctly. The HVAC system inside the gym barely ever worked. Some days we didn’t have any heat or air conditioning. We still had class, even if we had to wear a coat and a hat. I remember a couple of times when we had basketball practice even though the gym floor seemed like the bottom of an ice skating rink. The smell of old sweat socks, gym lockers, and mildew filled the gym back then and the smell is still the same. I can’t wait until the last kid graduates, so we can move away from this old town and retire to somewhere sunny.

 

central heater