Cemented

I am away from home, away from my 5 year-old football-happy son, away from the PS2 and away from FIFA Street.

And I am ok with this.

Today I am walking the streets of the City on a little adventure with my wife. We're doing a lot of walking and exploring. Taking a day off from the demands of work and family to enjoy the pleasures of life.

And walking facilitates this aesthetic adventure nicely: so much to see, to experience: nature, landscape, buildings, people, galleries, food, drink, cafes, shops...

This is life. A day in a life without football/soccer.

And yet can it ever be so for a man who tasted the potent fruit, who accepted into the blood of his veins and the neurons of his brain the freeing, soaring, pleasure-making experience of being a player?

Can one ever again have a day without football?

Is it any different than trying to have a day without alcohol, once that bridge to pleasure has been crossed?

Is a version of AA really possible for the habit of football? Is it necessary?

Why not think about football every day? Why not play football every day until you die?

Should one, can one really retire from football?

I know I can't.

What's more, playing FIFA Street with my son, "just for fun", has simply reinforced my identity as: a-player-forever.

And as we walk, my wife and I, wherever I spot a patch of pavement, a suitable parking lot, a tennis court, a basketball court, I think about playing a little footie.

Football is in my soul. And Street is daily grabbing hold, with its music vibe and acrobatic movements, teaching me that while I can't ever let go of the game, it's ok because the game is everywhere anyways. It permeates everything and is accessible to me whenever I want it, wherever I want it and at any age.

I cannot deny the grip of the Beautiful Game.

And Street is cementing this reality of being a-player-forever.

This is not a death sentence.

This is a beautiful reality.