LOST CONNECTION TO THE GROUND

There was a time when a piece of ground meant everything to me. Phases of life where we ran without thinking about the time, where losing a game could ruin our evening and winning one could make the whole day feel like a victory. I used to spend hours playing my game without noticing what was happening around me.Sometimes growing up and moving forward means leaving behind things that made you comfortable and simple.

Waiting for friends at the gate and then entering together. Going for warm-up sometimes slacking off when the coaches weren't watching. Arguing about choosing teammates and about the rules to make us win. All laughing and talking about desires, needs and wants while playing. Going home all exhausted. No one cared about how expensive our game equipment and shoes were or whether the ground was perfect for playing. We unknowingly somehow converted a small friendly game into a serious competition.

As work and family responsibilities increased, we became too busy and focused on them, forgetting about things that were once an important part of life. Motivation to wake up in morning. It just happened without us noticing. With time, you can't realize that you have slowly moved away from the thing that used to make your day. The game made you realise what you were capable of doing without self-doubt.

The time when we walked barefoot on grass, feeling that cold sensation on our feet after playing. Sitting under a tree in the sun to feel the cooling breeze on our warm bodies like this taught you how to relax after difficulty in life. Those were good times. Life without headphones and mobile screens. Just gossiping and discussing the game, then life and then the rules of game again.

Today, while passing any ground or group of people, I miss all those things being tired for no important reason. I miss the sound and intense arguments of my buddies calling each other's names while playing and pointing out the mistakes.

Maybe that is what losing connection really means. Not losing a place, but the version of ourselves that belonged there.

We could still go back to the same ground and play today, but we can't completely recreate the person and the carefree life we had then. Now we could never experience that thing again on the ground that we used to play until the sun went down.

Do you remember the last time you played your game?