Dear Reader
I do not know whether being athletically active throughout my life contributed in any way to my travails or would they still have occurred without my participation. After all, arthritis does have a strong genetic component and develops in people not active with physically demanding activity.
I begin my tale with the above remarks because I do not want anyone to use my story to discourage anyone from ever participating in active physical activity as they age.
When we moved to Ft Wayne in 1968, I met a great guy at the B’nai Jacob Synagogue, Dan. Russ, a former Bronxite like myself. One Friday night, after services, Dan, who barely knew who I was - we only lived there a couple of weeks, asked me if I played handball. I explained that as an ex New Yorker, I had played single wall handball. He immediately understood and identified with the activity.
However, once outside NY, people played primarily four wall handball or racquet ball. These were played in Y’s, religious or community centers. Single wall handball and other wall games as well as punchball, stickball and its myriad variations were not really heard of.
Dan clarified and asked if I would like to learn four wall handball. Of course I did providing they put up with my learning the angles and taking the ball off the back wall. I knew the problems I faced.
After several weeks, I started to become proficient. All the running, stopping, stretching, bending, while following the ball bounce off the ceiling and walls across the court, the quality of my game started to improve. There were tremendous pressures put on the joints, tendons etc. That is why my opening remarks alluded to these important phenomena.
My hand/eye coordination improved along with the virtual instant cerebral calculations of where the ball was going to be really improved.
What helped immeasurably was the friendliness of the handball players and their willingness to put up with my many learning problems and providing pointers.
In the 12 years of playing handball in Ft Wayne - before we moved to Mobile, AL, - I had to admit that handball players - locals and the guests who cane from afar for tournaments - were among the friendliest people I ever met. They came from all walks of life. We all shared one attribute: a love of playing 4 wall handball - the game the gods invented.
The story will continue with Mobile.