It Starts

As you can see in the picture, winter has arrived.

I'm not talking about the snow.

I'm talking about all the 4-wheelers parked outside our school on a Saturday.

You see, today is the date of our first community basketball tournament of the winter. This, more than weather, marks the start of winter for me.

Some of the women here are trying to get me to play on their team. Do I have any special talent? Have I shown any sort of extreme athletic prowess? No. I'm just tall. I'm the tallest woman in Quinhagak, Alaska, actually. It's quite an honor, and I'm reminded at least once a week by one student or another suddenly looking up and me and saying, "So tall."

So... every tournament someone asks me if I want to play on their team.

Never mind that I can't play worth a damn.

Never mind that I've never played beyond casually shooting around with other non-players.

Never mind that I don't really know the rules or positions.

Never mind that I'm something of a klutz.

I'm tall, and that's enough.