Perfect.

Absolute perfection occurs very rarely in our daily lives. This video reminds me of such a time.

When I was in 8th grade, we used to have “open gym” during lunch, where we could play basketball and otherwise run off our energy for the rest of the day. It was a rectangular space with room for one huge court and bleachers. For lunch and PE, both sets of bleachers were pulled back to make room for three basketball courts side-by-side. With its huge open space and enormous ceiling, it had a scope and echo of some tin cathedral to social akwardness.

So, around 12 everyday, everyone would eat, then the 400 of us would file into the gym to run around, yell, jockey for popularity, (sadly) attempt to flirt, gossip and wish we had worn deodorant, stopping when the bell (actually, an electric tone that sounded like a robotic bombing raid siren from WWII movies) would ring.

I used to have this horrible sinking feeling every time I heard that damn bell, and I’d always try to cram in, like, 2 more seconds of fun before I had to leave.

Sometimes desperation can lead to great things.

One day the bell rang and I had a basketball in my hand. I looked up and the first thing I saw was my friend Brian Beech on the other side of the gym, talking to someone. Before I could even think about it, I reared back and hurled that ball with everything I had.

I saw the basketball’s perfect arc with growing fascination as is slowly made its way towards Brian. The average basketball court is 85 feet. I had hoped that it would land within a few feet of him and scare him a bit.

As usual, there is a better plan for us than the one we make.

The ball struck Brian on the top of the head, knocking his glasses off, and snapping his eyes and mouth wide open in a spasm of shock and awe.

I raised my fists in a victorious celebration, knowing that I had just made a memory that would last forever.

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