Getting old Part I

I guess the 2 major things I miss from my youth are my dexterity and my memory.

I was quite the agile man 20 years ago or so.
I had the proven ability to walk across an open cardboard box without falling in.
I could swing one armed from a warehouse bin like chimp.
I could climb a ladder with a 30-inch TV in on one shoulder and stack it over my head.
I had taught myself to walk with extreme stealth. I could roll my foot just so and knew where to step so not a sound was made. Why? not sure. Probably a misconceived notion of "cool"

I remember once (Junior High I believe) where 5 of my friends stood 20 feet away and threw snowballs at me without a single one hitting its mark.
I was a king at dodge ball as well.

When I was 18 or 19 there was an arena game near my work called “TRACER.” It was one of those laser tag places.
From my first game, I was hooked.
I was a natural and I was treated like a celebrity.
My code name “Dekkard” was a name known throughout the land.
You could always see my dark form as I danced and dashed spinning and shooting my opponents with blinding speed.
I was applauded on my efforts.
I dated the girls the other nerds just lusted after.
I was asked to be in games with people I did not know.
I was treated like nobility.

It even got to a point where if someone would see my name on the opposing team they would leave the game because they new they had no chance. I ended up having to create 3 separate identities so people wouldn’t leave the games (Ravenblade, Incognito and Nightshade)

One time the manager of the place asked me and 2 of my friends to play this team of air force guys. We had just swung by the place to talk to one of the guys that worked there and these camouflaged guys were talking shit about everyone and everything.
She came up to us and asked us if we wanted a free game to play these ruffians.
Of course we did.
Oh, to hear them scoff as they learned that the 6 of them were going to play the 3 of us.
We 3 in the quadruple digits scores and they in the negatives.
We ate them alive.

GODS, it was wonderful!

The whole year I spent was one of the best ones of my life. (Ok, so I was/am a bit shallow but after a lifetime of being in the background, I was finally a hero.)

I was legend.

If there had been minstrels songs would have been sung to my prowess and nobility.
Alas, like all good things, it could not last.
I ended up going to night school and lost time and interest in going to Tracer
Before I left, I banded together a team under my name for tournaments and I called them the Assassin’s Guild.
They destroyed all comers and all I could do is bask in their afterglow as I had passed along the torch.

I can only reminisce about this now as I limp about.
The wind is gone from my sails.
The energy leaked away like water from a sieve.
The body destroyed beyond any repair.
My agile body nothing more then a fond memory.

I miss that indeed.





PS: Rereading this I will agree that yes there is quite some boasting here but I can honestly state that it is entirely factual.