Folly

All over, in many cities and towns across North America, this weekend was a soccer weekend. No, I’m not talking about the FIFA World Cup. It was something on a smaller scale—thousands of kids played in outdoor soccer leagues during May and June, and this weekend was the tournament weekend.

Parents and grandparents ferried their kids and grandkids to the fields, watched them play, cheered them on, and proudly took photos of the kids receiving their medals. For the younger ones, participation is rewarded, with everyone on every team getting the same medal. For the older kids, they are out there hustling for the gold, silver, or bronze!

Such an event takes lots of planning, and I salute those who did such a great job. Coaches, too, deserve a round of applause for dedicating at least two evenings a week for two months to helping the kids develop their skills and encouraging team play.

Of course, with hundreds of kids gathered for hours on end, there need to be “facilities.” And there were. Johnny was On the Spot, and made use of during the day. It was hot; the kids are running hard and drinking lots of water. You see my point.

It being the weekend, however, those companies that supplied the Johnny on the Spot facilities were not available to collect them after the tournament was over on Sunday. I guess workers will arrive on Monday to do that job.

Where is the folly that the title alludes to? Well, this afternoon I saw several young people (teens) do something foolish. They were crossing one of the school yards where the soccer tournament had taken place. On seeing the Johnny on the Spot that was waiting to be removed, they took matters into their own hands and tipped the small grey building over. This was accompanied by pushing, shoving, and lots of laughter. They quickly went on their way and disappeared from the field.

When those teens arrived home, and their parents asked them what they had been doing that afternoon, my guess is that they did not tell their parents about what they had done. Probably their parents would not have been amused.

Neither will the workers who arrive at the field on Monday to pick up their cargo. Johnny is no longer on the spot where it had been installed.