note: This was written as part of a flash fiction writing contest at the blog,\u00a0The Clarity of Night<\/a>, back in 2007.\u00a0Here is a link to the original post<\/a>. The idea was to write 250 words based on a provided prompt.<\/em><\/p>\n For most men, their most fond childhood memory involves playing catch in the backyard with their dad, like the ending of\u00a0The Natural<\/i>. Mine’s a little different. Mine is of the old grey wall outside of the apartment Mom and I lived in when I was a boy. We had electricity most of the time, hot water occasionally, but the old grey wall was always there.<\/p>\n Mom used to come home late from work only to find me outside throwing the beat-up Rawlings baseball Grandpa gave me against the wall, imagining I was Ozzie Smith roaming the Busch Stadium infield. I was too small to make the baseball team, but on that gravel filled pavement I was an All Star. For years I was sure I held the record for most throws, 5,429, without a miss and if the Guinness Book of Records people ever happened to be in my neighborhood, I would be famous.<\/p>\n I still return from time to time to my home town to visit my mother, who now lives in a nice little Ranch not too far from the city. That dilapidated excuse of an apartment building burned down a few years ago but the old grey wall remains. I rarely miss the chance to visit my old friend, only now I bring my son with me and we stand in front of that old grey wall and have a catch together. Sometimes, I miss the ball on purpose, just to give my friend a turn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Old Grey Wall by\u00a0Paul Liadis note: This was written as part of a flash fiction writing contest at the blog,\u00a0The Clarity of Night, back in 2007.\u00a0Here is a link to the original post. The idea was to write 250 words based on a provided prompt. For most men, their most fond childhood memory involves playing catch in the backyard with their dad, like the ending of\u00a0The Natural. Mine’s a little different. Mine is of the old grey wall outside…<\/p>\n