A short story

Keith's Ramblings

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šŸŽ¶ When I was young I never needed anyone, catching balls was just for fun, those days are gone…

IĀ had friends, but I didnā€™t appreciate them. If only I had.Ā 

Iā€˜m in a football team now, Iā€™m the goal keeper. I feel a bit of an outsider though. While the rest of them run around enjoying themselves, I just stand here, all by myself.Ā 

Donā€™t want be all by myself anymore.

I guess being paid millions to catch a ball every now and again has itā€™s advantages, but money canā€™t buy friends. People come up to me asking for autographs. They take selfies. But they are here one minute and gone the next.Ā 

Living alone, I think of all the friends Iā€™ve known, friends I let go.

All by myself, don’t want to live by myself anymore…šŸŽ¶

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Thanks to Jenne Gray and CEAyr for hosting The Unicorn Challenge

Ā© Ayr/Gray

25 thoughts on “A short story”

  1. Dale's avatar Dale Aug 23, 2024 / 13:57

    It’s a lonely job but does have its special moments when he makes spectacular saves….. right? Maybe? He needs to get out more so his job doesn’t take over… LOL

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  2. Denise Hammond's avatar Denise Hammond Aug 23, 2024 / 15:26

    My youngest son was a goalie on a traveling soccer team. I have to ask him sometime if he felt lonely standing out there while everyone else ran around.

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  6. Suzette Benjamin's avatar Suzette Benjamin Aug 24, 2024 / 00:36

    It is just my reading but do I sense a touch of the sense of a 70[s (I think) song “All by myself” in this lovely piece, Keith. Well done. Fame is not family, eh.

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  8. ceayr's avatar ceayr Aug 24, 2024 / 09:50

    You got exactly what we were hinting at with this prompt, Keith, the idea of loneliness in a crowd.

    Excellent piece.

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    • Keith's Ramblings's avatar Keith's Ramblings Aug 24, 2024 / 13:13

      Thanks so much. It was the first thing that sprang to mind when I saw the picture – followed by Celine Dion’s lovely song!

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  9. jenne49's avatar jenne49 Aug 24, 2024 / 15:58

    I’ve always felt a soft spot for goalies. All alone and with such responsibilities. A lonely place indeed. And the analogy with friendship. Realising too late the value of friends is so sad and you express it well. It’s a great story, Keith.

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  10. Margaret's avatar Margaret Aug 25, 2024 / 03:44

    The price of fame – it’s much publicised but so many still get lured into the trap. You show it so well here, and the allusions to the two songs work very well.

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  11. Chris Hall's avatar Chris Hall Aug 25, 2024 / 11:43

    Oh, so sad… but really good. Nice one, Keith!

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  12. clark's avatar clark Aug 25, 2024 / 20:30

    Ā “…asking for autographs. They take selfies”

    What an interesting juxtaposition of two very human drives taken from two rather different (not discontinuous as much as contrasting a change in the human expression)

    or something

    nicely done!

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