As we turn the calendar to the last full month of summer, here’s a recipe to make time slow down for a little while.
It’s an old-fashioned concoction that’s being served up twice a week. I had a taste of the first batch on Monday and like all good recipes, it was delicious, magical and left me feeling satisfied even as I looked forward to the next time I’d get to enjoy it.
As with most good things in life, it’s pretty simple — bring people from different generations together under the open sky with some easygoing yet competitive physical activity. Maybe add a little food, forget about the clock, stir well, and enjoy.
That combination creates the kind of simple happiness that we’ve begun to lose touch with in recent years. Fortunately, it’s straightforward to recapture. And in this particular case, it’s open to all, twice a week through August.
The Lewis County Tennis Association (LCTA) kicked off these events on Monday with a laid back evening of food and an informal round-robin tennis tournament. It was a glorious success, so they’re continuing it twice a week in both of the Twin Cities over the next four weeks.
Simply show up with a racquet (no food provided for the rest of the tournaments, alas, but bring some water as it gets a little hot and a snack to share if you’d like) and the desire to play.
The idea started with Twin Cities high school tennis coaches, the local pro instructor at Thorbecke’s, and the LCTA tennis enthusiasts. The goal was to give our young people (middle school and high school tennis players) a chance to hit against older folks to get a more nuanced experience of the sport.
It also provides longtime players a chance to hit against new players that they haven’t had a chance to play before.
The result is a series of short pickup doubles games with a constantly revolving set of players. It was endlessly enjoyable. The games are low-stakes. Technically we keep score, but it’s not recorded anywhere. This is not a true tournament, but it is the game in its purest form — playing for real but also for fun.
As the evening sunset overshadowed the courts, our hours of time together left us all feeling good.
In one match, I was doubled up with a 10-year-old. We were playing against a middle-schooler and a woman probably in her 60s or 70s.
Age doesn’t matter so much when you’re teammates and good-natured opponents. Good plays are celebrated, little mistakes are overlooked, and enthusiastic support for your partner rules the day. Or, in the case of that middle-schooler, he was so polite that it took me a few moments to realize he was trash-talking me and my attempts to hit the ball past him. It was great.
And yet, age does matter. The chance to offer a positive word (or well-phrased riposte to a clever jibe) to young people just entering their prime years is so important for folks like me who are clearly in the second half of life. Who benefits the most from being an older mentor? Both sides come out ahead. It’s a mutual victory.
And it goes beyond the court.
I’m writing this on Friday morning as people warm up on the courts. I heard a girl in her late teens or early 20s talking to a white-haired woman about a recent job interview. The two had discussed it at our kickoff round-robin tournament earlier this week, and now there is new information to share.
These moments of connection and support mean a lot. They are threads in a tapestry of life woven together, string by string, moment by moment. From victories on and off the court, to mistakes that are acknowledged, forgiven, and perhaps a wise word shared, we all are strengthened.
So much of life is tough. It’s not a game. And yet, these times when we come together for fun and simple happiness are a way of winning no matter what other hard times we have to endure.
If you can hit a ball over a net, come on out for these round-robin days. There are two events scheduled per week to accommodate different schedules. Play commences at 6 p.m. on Mondays at the W.F. West High School courts and 11 a.m. on Fridays at the Tiger Stadium courts.
Win or lose, there’s a lot to love.
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Brian Mittge is a community enthusiast who has written for The Chronicle since 2000 as a reporter, editor and columnist. He can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com.
