Ultimate Frisbee is a fabulous game.
Even better is ultimate Frisbee on the 8th deck of a large ship in the open air with a jungle gym, swimming pool and massive air vent in the middle of your field and nothing between your Frisbee and the water but a small net.
Ten good friends and a broken Frisbee make for one jolly good time.
We are always searching for something fun to do after community meeting (essentially church) every Thursday night. Often we just eat ice cream and chat. Occasionally we play games like spoons or four-on-a-couch (or four-on-a-sofa for the Brits out there). Last week my brilliant and hilarious friend Sam united two of his favorite things: socializing with his friends after community meeting and random fun on deck 8.
It is a rather treacherous game for me at the best of times as I’m no great sportswoman, especially with a Frisbee in my hands. But as with most sports in this community the goal is truly a good time had by all. Everyone accepts the good-natured abuse and heartfelt, if undeserved, encouragement and praise that go hand-in-hand with it.
I think during this particular game the secret goal of everyone present was to throw the Frisbee into the top of the twisty slide. Automatic points for coolness factor alone.
Back and forth we went, over jungle gym, around air vent, barely missing the swimming pool. Until the fateful final play: the Frisbee gets thrown long, members of both teems in the end zone ready to wrestle it into their possession, it vacillates between the two, it flies into the air again, everyone holds their breath as it is caught by the wind and off, into the air and down to the water it sails. Alas, the game came to a sudden and sad ending. Ten forlorn Frisbee players lean over the rail, watching our beloved, broken Frisbee float free to the fishing village in the distance as we ponder aloud a way to retrieve it. Eventually we gave it up as lost and moved on to car races.
To all of you living on coastline, if you ever spot a broken Frisbee in the water, it’s Sam’s.
So if you ever wonder if I do anything but work here, I would like to put you at ease. I have lots of fun. Lots of random, clean, good-old-fashion fun.
