A good friend sent me a comic book drawn by one of his friends. I haven't finished reading it, but till now the most impacting drawing has been this:
The translation goes moreless like this:
"I love you"
"Like the adults do?"
"No, truly."
This last two years i have heard a lot of adults speaking about love... and that drawing nearly broke my heart... sad but true.
Nearly two months since i moved to Madrid and i think i have to break my silence. Not to talk about Madrid and why i moved... just to write about thoughs that have come to my mind during this two months, and that in the last week have taken shape.
One good thing about Madrid, at least, is that here i have much more friends and relationships than in my hometown. That gives me the possibility to somehow experience and analize more people and situations that take place with them. Of course, sharing a flat helps. It's never easy... and probably sometimes it's really hard. At the same time, while analizing other people, sometimes i discover new things about myself. Some are good things... some are not so good... and most of the time... it's just what it is, not bad, nor good, just reality.
This last week i have been thinking about gifts, especial presents that people that loves you gives to you to show they do. Although i like presentes, i have never been able to appreciate them too much. I mean... to show the people that i appreciated it. You can give me a book that i have been looking for for two years... and i will only be able to say "thank you". Most of the people would start jumping, clapping hands, shouting their happiness,... i just said thank you and felt really bad for it. Tried to explain that i was really happy for that gift... and again, felt really bad for not being able to appreciate that present in a way that my friend could understand how grateful i was.
But reality is that althoug i can be thankful, and that i like gifts, i don't appreciate them much. At least i don't appreciate them as much as most of the people do. That has been something that i have known for a long time. Is all about the laguajes of love and all that stuff, my languaje is not gifts, bla, bla, bla... no problem. But this last week i have realiced, that it was not just that.
I have noticed that if i don't appreciate gifts it's because most of the people that give them to me, don't have an average good way of treating me. I think it's difficult to speak myself... What i mean is that i appreciate more if someone cooks for me 10 days in a month a normal meal, rather than if someone makes a huge supertasty dinner just once. I appreciate more someone that takes interest for me every week, rather than a puctual superdeep conversation once a year. Of course, with people that lives far away that's difficult. But now i am speaking about people in Madrid, about the people close to me.
Some like to show me their love for me with one punctual thing, really good thing, from time to time. Others like, maybe not to be so... excellent, but take the work of doing it many times. I have understood that i appreciate this last much more. I think that maybe is because i think i would like to be an all day everyday friend, not a once a month one... And probably with some people we are... with some others we can't, i don't know.
Just words.
Probablemente la mayor boca de la NBA, y el tio además era bueno.
La altura está sobrevalorada: he jugado con muchos paquetes muy altos.”
“Creo que mi peso ideal es el peso en el que esté cuando estoy en la pista.”
“No me suicidaría. Soy una de mis personas favoritas.”
“Mientras Bird esté en la liga, seré el segundo peor defensor del baloncesto.”
“Pensaba que Bill Laimbeer es el tipo más despreciable y desagradable de todo el baloncesto… pero por otro lado, siempre lo respeté como jugador.”
Tras remontar un partido en el que llegaron a perder de veinte puntos: “Éste es un partido que, si lo pierdes, te vas a casa y le pegas a tu mujer y a tus hijos.”
Como contestación ante la gran cantidad de demandas interpuestas por asociaciones feministas tras esa última declaración: “Me meo en esas mujeres.”
“Iba a donar la cantidad de mis multas a los sin hogar: pero es que al final de la temporada iban a tener mejores casas que yo.”
Tras la victoria de Brent Barry en el concurso de mates del 94, fue el primero en sacar conclusiones: “Un blanco ganando el concurso de mates, la NBA está en decadencia. Necesitamos otra marcha del Millón de Hombres”.
“Soy la mejor persona que conozco.”
A Oliver Miller, compañero de equipo en los Suns con continuos problemas de sobrepeso: “¡Ni siquiera puedes saltar lo suficiente para tocar el aro a no ser que te pongan un Big mac en lo alto!”
Sobre su contratación por los Rockets: “Me acuerdo sentarme con los Rockets y decirles: “Sí, me voy a retirar”. Ellos dijeron: “Bueno, te daremos nueve millones de dólares”, a lo que respondí: “¿Tenéis un bolígrafo encima?”
“Hey, Stanley, serías un gran jugador si fueses capaz de decir dos palabras: estoy lleno.” (Hablando con el peso pesado Stanley Roberts).
Al retirarse: “Esto es justo lo que América necesita: otro negro sin trabajo.”
Sobre el contrato de Kevin Garnett: “Es un montón de pasta. Y lo está ganando un negro. Qué gran país es éste. Imagínate si supiese jugar.”
A Kenny Smith, compañero comentarista y ex-jugador: “Me gusta que los Celtics sean competitivos, porque era muy divertido ir al Boston Garden: te escupían, te tiraban cosas y hablaban de tu madre. Como si estuviese cenando en casa de Kenny.”
“La iba a denunciar por difamación de personalidad. Pero entonces me di cuenta de que no tengo personalidad.” (Sobre Tonya Harding, ex patinadora)
“¡Me encanta Nueva York: tengo una pistola!”
“Mi familia me criticó cuando dije que Bush sólo se preocupa de los ricos. Así que les recordé: “Eh, ¡que soy rico!””
“Si no ganara más de tres millones de dólares jugando al baloncesto, la gente correría en dirección contraria si me viese por la calle.”
Justo antes de su famosa carrera contra el árbitro Dick Bavetta: "No tengo nada contra la gente mayor; algún día quiero ser uno de ellos.”
Ernie Jonson, comentarista de la TNT: “¿Cuál es el problema de los Knicks en este momento?”Charles: “Que no son buenos.”
EJ: “Auburn es una muy buena universidad. Supongo que para graduarte allí realmente tuviste que trabajar muy duro y esforzarte al máximo… Charles: “20 puntos y 10 rebotes también te ayudan, no creas…”
EJ: “¿Te reconocieron en Dakota del Sur?” Charles: “Sí. Fue fácil porque yo era la única persona negra allí. Cuando me veían caminar por la calle decían: “Aquí viene otra vez”. Y cuando volví al año siguiente gritaban alucinados: “¡Ha vuelto, yujuuu!””
“Esta es mi agenda; Me levanto por la mañana, decido donde voy a ir a jugar al golf, y bebo cerveza todo el día.”
“He sido rico y he sido pobre. Ser rico es mejor.”
Sobre cómo Jerry Krause fue capaz de mantener su trabajo como General Manager de los Chicago Bulls: “Jerry debe tener fotos de la esposa de su jefe montándoselo con un mono”.
“Tengo una pregunta: ¿Alguna vez has visto a Gollum y Sam Cassell juntos en el mismo sitio?”
“Al Gore es un perdedor. Pero tan sólo es el segundo mayor perdedor de Washington. Los Wizards son los mayores perdedores en Washington.”
Antes de enfrentarse a Cuba en los Juegos Olímpicos de Barcelona ´92: ¿Qué que sé sobre Cuba? Pues que el país lo gobierna un andrajoso que fuma puros… eso es todo lo que sé.”
Sobre cómo Michael Jordan debía afrontar los agobios de la fama: “Contrata guardaespaldas. O haz como yo; golpea a unas cuantas personas y dales 10000$.”
“En mi ropa interior no viene la talla. Simplemente hay una etiqueta que dice: ENORME.”
Al ex-jugador y compañero comentarista Reggie Miller: “Reggie era el extra de Brokeback Mountain.”
“¿Tengo un problema con el juego? Sí, tengo un problema con el juego. Pero realmente no es un problema... porque yo me lo puedo permitir.”
Charles: “¿Sabes cuál va a ser un equipo interesante este año? Los Utah Jazz.”KS: “¿Interesante desde un punto de vista positivo o desde uno negativo? Charles: “Todavía no lo sé.”
Durante las finales de la NBA, Ernie Jonhson señala a un cartel en el que se lee: “Barkley = Tonto, Van Gundy = Más tonto.” Charles: “Hey, al menos ese tío sabe quien soy. Yo no tengo ni idea de quien coño es él.”
"El sexo y el golf son las únicas cosas en las que aun siendo malo en ello, puedes pasar un rato agradable.”
"Sabes que todo se ha ido a la mierda cuando el mejor rapero es blanco y el mejor golfista negro.”
Kenny Smith: “Se puede ver que Voshon Lenard ha estado un tiempo lesionado porque ha ganado un poco de peso.” Charles: “¿Un poco de peso? ¿Le llamas a eso un poco de peso? Eso es como decir que lo del Titanic fue un pequeño accidente marítimo. Vamos hombre, si creo que usa la misma talla de calzoncillos que yo.”
Se supone que debemos parar de comer cuando él lo haga? ¿Y qué ocurre si seguimos teniendo hambre? Joder, puede que el haya picoteado algo antes de venir a comer.” (Sobre las normas de protocolo antes de comer con Rainiero en el Palacio Real de Montecarlo.)
“Pese a ser un rookie Christian Laettner va a ser el hombre más fuerte de la NBA la próxima temporada. Se está pasando el verano llevando las maletas de 12 tíos.” (Laettner era el único jugador universitario del Dream Team del 92).
A lot of friends have accused me of liking teenagers too much. And well... i have to confess it, it's true. Some weeks ago an american team came to my town, and i ejoyed very much the time i spent with them. Now i am pretty sure that one of the main reasons of this was that most of them were teenagers.
But there is a logic reason why i like so much to spend time with them. And this doesn't mean i just enjoy my time when i am in their company. I also enjoy time spent with other people. But what i have discovered about teenagers is that their lack of maturity helps them not to take life so seriously. That means that when i start saying silly things without thinking about them before opening my mouth... they don't get upset!!!
They just think that is one more silly thing in life they don't have to take so seriously... laugh... and continue with their lifes without judging me because of that little moment of madness. Older people can't do that. They get upset with anything silly that i say, take it seriously, think about it, and judge me. There are some close friends with whom i can say silly things and nothing happens. This ones have also the advantage that i can talk about more serious things knowing they are enough mature to advice me. Probably with them i can be myself more that with anybody else.
Then it comes basketball... wich i am missing this summer cause i can just play once every two weeks. What i like about it is... well... because i am not as bad as playing football. That's one reason. The other reason why i always look foward for the next day when i'll play basketball, apart from meeting those nice guys i have mentioned before in my blog, are the concrete rules.
Basketball is easy. Has concrete and simple rules. You have to throw the orange ball trough the ring. You can't travel more than two steps without bouncing, etc... Is a known rectangular world, no surprises. You don't have to think more than to whom you will pass or when you will shoot. The options are finite. You have no more than 4 possibilities to pass... I like that... not to think, just play... time flows... while you're in that tiny little world, enjoying the game.
Books are also a rectangular world. But they permit me to be anyone... in anyworld. Probably that's one reason i like sci-fi books so much. They not just aloud me to be anyone at anytime... anywhere in this world. They also make me wonder what would be to live in other dimensions, planets, worlds... When i'm reading this world stays behind, while my mind can travel free...
Teenagers, basketball and books have always been like an emotional vaccation... some kind of places where i feel more free... where i feel more like being myself... or like being what i would like to be, how i would like to be.
