[FRIAM] Religious Imagination: The Archer

[Stephen Guerin]

Thanks, Nick! A lot to respond to. I will do it in chunks.

On Sun, Apr 11, 2021 at 4:22 PM <thompnickson2 at gmail.com> wrote:

>   For me, heaven will be, a doubles match on the court in Ipswich, my
> parents, family and friends cheering from the shade of the grape arbor, and
> me, bent to the net, with my big brother at the base line behind me, ready
> to serve.


Very powerful imagery capturing a relationship with an older brother in the
tennis partner context. That is a precise moment and feeling to imagine in
a coupled relationship. I can appreciate the comfort of that lasting image.

I played tennis from 11a until 11p with lit courts from 4th grade, through
middle school summer camps, city leagues and high school varsity until
trailing off into colleage intramurals. Frank, as you know, continues to
this day. I have a deeper connection to the feeling of hardcourt, composite
or clay under my feet through sweat soaked socks and tennish shoes than the
barefoot feeling of sand on a beach.

I can feel you in your antipatory crouch with the trust that your
brother''s powerful serve will probably pass close enough to your face to
feel the air pressure. You probably just flashed the  secret hand code you
two developed to indicate whether you're poaching or not and ready to
spring as soon as antipate first raquet contact to ball. It's you and your
brother against the other. You've probably developed an ingroup outgroup
dynamic by the third game in the match that you can only see the others as
assholes and can't stand their faces, their chatter, and even how they
fidget spin their racquets..As you crouch, with your brother ready to
serve, you're probably staring down the receiver and his partner with a
poker face not revealing the plan. And two games later the position will
reverse and your older brother will be waiting for your serve.
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