Badminton Season
This afternoon after driving all around the continent last week, I finally arrived home for good (well for a few weeks anyway). I love getting home and walking up the back steps and into the house. The back steps make a hallow sound as you go up them that is instantly recognizable and that remind me of the many years I've spent trudging up and down those stairs.
Maybe it is because it is summer now, or maybe when it is wet and cold outside they don't make the same noise, but the sound of the steps reminded me as I walked up them earlier today of summer. Of the many years of running up and down them on my way to do something outside.
Tonight when I got home, I ran up those steps, hurrying inside, so I could change out of my jeans, put on my shorts, and then run back outside to play some badminton.
I've blogged many times about how happy Portland makes me during the summers (exhibit A and exhibit B), but really the biggest reason Portland is so awesome during the summers is because Portland during the summers is badminton season.
For usually 2-3 weeks at some point in every summer (seems like this has been going on forever, but I know there was a brief lull when I was in high school and then again in college), the neighbor kids and I cannot play enough badminton. The people who have shared in the obsession have changed over the years, as people slowly lose interest1 but there's always been someone interested.
What do I like about playing badminton in the backyard? What don't I like!
First and foremost, I love being around my friends. The quickest way to my heart? Share in my passions with me. And playing badminton with me is no exception. It doesn't matter how much I disliked you before, if you play badminton with me I'll like you at least a little bit.
I love how casual playing badminton in the backyard is. You can chat and make jokes. You don't have to give it your full attention. When others are playing you can lounge on the porch in the shade, or sit on the railing letting your feet dangle. You can grab something to eat, or drink the best tasting water you've ever had from our fridge.
I love the feeling of the pads of my feet being a little sore from running back and forth across the yard for hours. I love that ache in my bones from doing something hard all day.
I love how at the end of a day, your feet are covered in a thin layer of dirt.
I love challenging myself to be better. Trying to learn what I'm doing wrong and fix my mistakes. I love a perfectly placed drop shot, or a spike that hits your opponent in the chest. I love running cross court and hitting a birdie perfectly straight down the line.
I love when my friends excel and hit a shot I had no chance of ever returning.
I love diving all out, legs in the air, arm extended, completely horizontal for a birdie. I love diving like that and actually hitting said birdie over the net. I love bouncing back up immediately and running for the next return.
I love beating my friends. Or I love that feeling of determination at the beginning of a game immediately following a loss.
I love sweat stinging my eyes and dripping down my noise.
I love long rallies, where you no longer want to not mess up because you want to win the point but because you don't want to be the person to ruin it for everyone else.
I love when my three young neighbors come over and cheer us on, making all the noise in the world. Getting flowers to throw at the victor. (Though I fear they may have outgrown their earlier enthusiasm for either of those things. But they still showed up today to watch at least!)
I love when there are a few people watching. Chatting away, hanging out, joining in on the court banter.
I love discussing science, philosophy or the world between points.
I love when there are 10 people watching, even 15. (I inevitably choke, because of all the pressure).
I love getting a call or a text message asking me if I want to play. It may sound weird, but I'm in constant fear that my friends back home are going to find other people they like hanging out with more and those calls and texts are going to stop coming. I am literally a little surprised every time one of those come in, relieved that they haven't already moved on.
I love the sun beating down on us, warming us up. Making us hot.
I love it when the sun finally goes down and cool breeze blows through the backyard.
I love the muted colors of the world at dusk. The knowledge that soon things will wind down.
I love how relaxing a night game after most everyone else has gone to bed can be. Trying to be quiet, and silently communicating with the others playing.
I love going to sleep after a day full of badminton, hoping to do it all again the next day.
Playing badminton makes me extremely happy.
1. I hope that after the current crop lose interest, the younger kids step up to take their place. There will always be younger kids growing up, wanting to play, don't you think?! And I hope that I never tire of play!
25 July 2011 09:04am UTC • 151 views • 7 comments
Tagged with badminton, portland, love, home
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7 comments
Sailing Master Keri
25 July 2011 01:19pm UTC
I love this post! And it makes me so jealous that I'm non in Portland with you!
Seamonster Mom
25 July 2011 10:45pm UTC
I am so glad that you like badminton. I love badminton, too.
I have loved badminton since I was a little kid. I had a backyard badminton set, and a big backyard in Corydon, Iowa. I would play with my friends. When I was married to Larry and we were in married student housing at the University of Iowa, we had a set and played with other couples. I remember him getting mad at me when we would lose a point, so that wasn't an altogether positive experience.
One of the things I discovered when I had kids was that I loved playing with them. We played horse with a basketball at the neighborhood grade school playground, we kicked soccer balls back and forth, we threw softballs and I purchased the first and only baseball glove of my life. Nathan and I would go to Liberty Park at 6 AM before I went to work to play tennis on beautiful summer mornings in Utah before he went into fifth grade. I went bicycling in the neighborhood, first with Nathan on training wheels, then without training wheels, then with Benjamin in the bike carrier and eventually the three of us riding together. I remember biking around the neighborhood and through Laurelhurst Park with Benjamin and Nathan after we moved to Portland.
Badminton always seemed like the perfect summer game, easy to play, easy to set up, cheap to buy, and possible for even little kids to play well enough to have fun. We had badminton in Utah, but the yard wasn't so good for the set up, and Benjamin was not quite old enough to get the hang of it.
Before we moved to Portland, we played badminton in Pohnpei. I played with both Nathan and Benjamin during that time. Sometimes they played with the Viavant boys, but somehow that was too competitive that summer to really be fun. I filled in as a better opponent--at least, I think so. Nathan and I could get pretty competitive playing against each other.
When we moved to Portland, one of the things I liked about the house was that it had a backyard perfectly sized for badminton. Benjamin, Nathan and I played together, and we worked hard to help Benjamin learn to play well enough so we could have games. I don't remember if we found other kids to have real games of doubles, but I know we did a lot of hitting the birdie back and forth.
After Nathan died, Benjamin continued to play badminton and, including the wonderful group of neighbor friends, there were lots of badminton partners. When we remodeled our kitchen and got a back porch, Greg helped us install removable posts in concrete that we attached to a volleyball net. This made a very nice badminton court--slightly shorter and wider than regulation-size, but close. This occurred when Benjamin was in 9th grade, and badminton was played in our backyard regularly throughout his high school years. It was so popular we even had disagreements with neighbors about the timing and loudness of the games. These games were intense! The kids were very inventive about making things special, and there were skittles tournaments with group play and brackets, modeled after various tournament designs (NBA, World Cup, etc.).
I was mostly an onlooker, not a player. I couldn't keep up! But I loved having the games going on. For awhile I gave a new badminton racket to each kid when they graduated from grade school.
I am happy when people are out in our backyard playing badminton, and I love it that Benjamin enjoys badminton so much. I feel like it this is a gift that I gave him.
Swordsman Satchel
25 July 2011 11:48pm UTC
I had no idea you have had such a history with Badminton Martha! Thanks for bringing it to the neighborhood!
Sailing Master Keri
26 July 2011 01:18pm UTC
Thanks for sharing, Martha! I love your story!
Seamonster Mom
26 July 2011 04:32pm UTC
By the way, Benjamin, I love the way you wrote this! You are becoming a poet. And the photos are PERFECT, from the sweat on the end of your nose to the pink tint of sundown on the rafter tails of the porch.
Farluffo the Great
26 July 2011 07:34pm UTC
This might just be my favorite post ever, Benj. I loved reading it! And I really enjoyed Martha's response, too! Excellent stuff all around. :)
Sailing Master Keri
27 July 2011 01:12pm UTC
I agree--I love this post! Keep em coming! :)