Players in the Game

The goal keeper. Just in the name itself much can be said.

Our job as a goal keeper. To stop the opposing team from getting a goal.  We have to defend this space as if our life depends on it.  Because it does!  If we can no longer defend, we will lose our job, we will be replaced by someone better than us. When we are able to make amazing saves the crowd cheers and we feel good about it. It’s a good adrenalin rush.

We have several players in front of us willing to take a hit and block a shot.  Risk their well being to stop the other team from getting too close to the goalkeeper. Though there are many rules to make the game safe, everyone gets injured at some point. The rules are broken often. Fights break out and names are called, seems to be the normal acceptable occurrence.

The offensive

Just in the name itself much can said.

Our job as the offensive is to break through their defence and get pass the goal keeper.  Yes, our life depends on it. Because it does! If we can no longer do this, we will be replaced by someone better.

When we do amazing plays the crowd cheers...

There are coaches, referees, time keepers, medical staff and so many more behind the scene doing a job to keep the game alive.

The crowd pays money to gather and cheer things like Kill Them, slaughter them, make them pay and many more. We paint our favorite teams’ colors all over our face and wave signs letting everyone know who we are cheering for.

One day the realization of who I am shows up.  I am the Goal keeper. I realize that the goal is behind me and that it is me who is stopping myself from getting to it.  It is that moment that I realize I am the leading the offensive.  I am both always at the same time. I have this knowing that I must get to my goals and yet I block them…  I found I was doing my best to heard the crowds cheer… by that I learned that the crowds cheering was all that I learned from my past. Which includes both good and bad memories. Basically, all the noise I have let live in my mind.

The hundreds of staff from ticket sellers to food vendors to coaches etc. etc. represent the level of complexity I have used to convince myself of my reality.

When the realization that, I am the all of the above sets in, then the music stops, the crowd goes silent, all the players stop playing… a moment of stillness fills my soul.

One by one things start to change from what made sense before to something new.  Something that isn’t new to me yet I am now able to recognize. One by one the game players start to fade into meaningless.  Other than memories of once was.

This is the matrix. We are all of the players.

The game is over. Winning takes on a whole new meaning...

by Bridge Walker Greg Harding