Physical Distraction And The Reflective Abstraction

Still fighting off angry thoughts haunting him ever since the ball slipped past when a sun-drenched distraction ended his college sporting career Jacques found the reference book that he was looking for in the library. Reflecting upon not having enough extra strength to punch the soccer ball out preventing it to cross the line the well-grounded performer found an upside when the feat did open the door for more time to work on academic tasks due at fall semester’s end.

Pulling the weighty textbook down from the shelf the scholar athlete whose successful competitive residency concluded and soon would be replaced into being tested in a few months when the warm temperatures provided a final temptation before conferring degrees.

Walking passed the quiet area where all his age group had noses inside the pages the footballer continued into the corporate owned café. Decorated in festive holiday fashion the atmosphere lured or reminded young adults there was life outside the hallowed intellectual halls. After ordering a latte and orange Jacques sat down with the required reading containing insight into what he wanted to do in the future.

It was then he saw Jacqueline across the room, “I heard you had the winning goal today,”

“Yes,” Jacqueline replied, “my senior game I had the winning goal.”

“What are you doing here?” Jacqueline was being curious.

“Time to move on,” Jacques responded honestly, “reality games man ship soon awaits.”

Walking over the soon to be female graduate who also kicked things around on the playing field pulled out the chair, “I have to write an abstract,” Jacques continued the commentary.

“A what?”

“An abstract,” Jacques repeated, “And I do not think it is simply graded on the score flashing in bright lights at the stadium.”

“No,” Jacqueline who used to be a biology major before changing to English Literature agreed, “it is my understanding it is based on interpretation.”

Later that evening Jacques found himself staring into space as a glaring message shined on the computer. This written statement fulfilled a professor’s request when he used the emotional anger from not having energy to prevent the inevitable and penned a theoretical composition about the invisible frustration endured when not being able to succeed in the responsibility assigned.

Sitting back in his chair reflecting on the physical mistake made in only a tournament match and after deep thought he then applied the lesson achieved to the final stretch towards graduation,

“This was not going to happen again and next spring I will not fail,” Jacques committed closing a chapter in his life.