Find the Thing That Never Abandons You

Charlie was a bear of a man, standing well over six feet tall with a robust paunch sustained by steak, potatoes, and a fidelity to evening cocktails.

He moved like a lumbering bear, juggling a basket full of tennis balls in one meaty hand, and a large Wilson tennis bag slung over his broad shoulders like Santa’s bag of toys. Except there were no toys, just tennis rackets, more balls, notebooks, sunscreen, a hat, and a canteen of water.

At least I thought the canteen contained water.

I don’t know what else Charlie did for a living, but what I do know is that tennis was his life. He followed all the tournaments, subscribed to all the magazines, and was a fixture on the courts of the local community college where I spent my summers playing tennis.

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