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Thursday, September 3, 2015

JUMP! (FF)

© Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Roger stood right on the edge, his heart pounding, his will beginning to waver.  

"JUMP! JUMP!"  shouted the voices that seemed to come from all around him. 

"C'MON MAN ... JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!"

"Who are these people?!" wondered Roger. "What do they want?"

Roger was not going to disappoint them.  He said a quick prayer, leaned forward, and arms flailing at his sides, he jumped.

"Fourteen feet, two inches!" exclaimed the referee.  "A new world record in the standing broad jump!"

The crowd cheered.  Now Roger knew who they were: good folks of all kinds, whether sitting in the bargain seats or the brick enclosed skyboxes, whose inspiration had made him a champion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serves me right.  No sooner do I write this piece than it turns out nobody does the broad jump anymore.  So if we all shout "Jump! Jump!" these days we're more likely to hear Van Halen than see any great feats of "broad jumpitation."

However, if you click on the word Jump! right here, you will see the great feats of the other Friday Fictioneers relative to the picture prompt above. So say a quick prayer, lean forward, and click "Jump!"

Glad I could inspire you.

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25 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 4, 2015 at 1:52 AM

    Great story! A lovely twist of hope and encouragement at the end.

    No more broad jump??? God, how old am I, and how did I go from being hip to being out of it??? Also, when did "hip" stop being a thing. Gah!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perry BlockSeptember 5, 2015 at 1:44 AM

      Looks like I was wrong about the broad jump (See Janet below), but it is no longer an Olympic event which is what I had in mind. Now, JUMP!

      Delete
  2. Sandra CrookSeptember 4, 2015 at 3:07 AM

    I never heard of broad jump. Does that make me very young, very British or the product of a sheltered life? Nice one.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rochelle Wisoff-FieldsSeptember 4, 2015 at 4:37 AM

    Dear Perry,

    I think I might have set the record for the lowest standing broad jump ins school. Not only was I the shortest kid in class, I was the least athletic. But now that I'm the decrepit age of 62 no one expects me to jump. I said all that to say I enjoyed your story.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perry BlockSeptember 5, 2015 at 1:46 AM

      I am three years more decrepit, so I expect you to jump! C'mon, I'm waiting!

      Delete
  4. liz youngSeptember 4, 2015 at 11:45 AM

    I'm so glad your story didn't end with blood and guts.

    ReplyDelete
  5. RussellSeptember 4, 2015 at 5:04 PM

    I tried to jump a broad once. She was lying on a blanket in the sand, couldn't have been more than 3 1/2 or 4 feet wide. I took a running jump, but my toe caught on her bikini top and worked like a bungee cord. It slung me all the way back to the parking lot. The referee disqualified me for getting out of my lane. Too bad the judge that got Tom Brady off wasn't working that beach.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perry BlockSeptember 5, 2015 at 1:49 AM

      Very funny. Unless it actually happened, in which case I'm very turned on! Thanks, Russell. And you too, Tom Brady.

      Delete
  6. janet at https://sustainabilitea.wordpress.com/September 4, 2015 at 7:48 PM

    They still do, Perry. It's just called the long jump now. Silly man!

    janet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perry BlockSeptember 5, 2015 at 1:49 AM

      I stand corrected. And then I jump. Thanks, Janet!

      Delete
  7. margireneSeptember 5, 2015 at 5:52 AM

    I wonder how much they pay for those brick enclosed sky boxes. They sound like the ultimate in luxury sports vantage points. LIke Lizy, I'm breathing a sigh of relief that no blood was spilled here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perry BlockSeptember 6, 2015 at 5:58 PM

      Me too. Of course they run non-stop gladiator movies up in the sky boxes.

      Delete
  8. tedstrutzSeptember 5, 2015 at 11:22 AM

    Good one... not what I was expecting. They called it the Broad Jump when I did it... didn't get too far.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perry BlockSeptember 6, 2015 at 5:59 PM

      Yes, I think you, me, and Russell all didn't get too far!

      Delete
  9. DawnSeptember 5, 2015 at 4:31 PM

    I'm so glad this story turned out to be a positive inspiring one. Thanks Perry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perry BlockSeptember 6, 2015 at 6:13 PM

      You're welcome, Dawn. Inspiration is what I'm all about!

      Delete
  10. Gah LearnerSeptember 5, 2015 at 6:10 PM

    There I was expecting great tragedy, and again you make me chuckle. Lovely story.

    ReplyDelete
  11. C. E. AyrSeptember 6, 2015 at 12:32 PM

    Very funny.
    And it may be called the long jump now, but it is definitely not standing.
    The have a run up longer than a 747 on take-off.

    ReplyDelete
  12. C. E. AyrSeptember 6, 2015 at 12:33 PM

    They have, of course!

    ReplyDelete
  13. P.S. JoshiSeptember 7, 2015 at 9:52 AM

    Well, Perry, at least someone is jumping somewhere. Take heart. Perhaps in time there'll be enough fans to bring it back. That was a great twist. I could see someone standing on a ledge. Well done. :) --- Suzanne

    ReplyDelete