Chapter 11: Part 3 - Trips

And at least once a year one of the Harbor View clubs will sponsor a day trip to that favorite Florida sport – jai alai. Jai alai is one of those terms I’ve always heard of in conjunction with Florida, but I truly had no idea what it was. I asked Dad about it when he told me that he and Mom had gone to jai alai the previous evening with the golf club.

“It’s basically a sport, like handball, that you can bet on,” he told me. “You go into a big room like a theatre, and there are men on stage throwing a ball back and forth into a wicker basket that they are each holding. It’s pretty interesting to watch because they have to throw and catch the ball in one fluid motion. You don’t have to bet on all of the games, but you can if you want to.”

“Was it any fun?” I asked him.

“Well, the restaurant we ate at beforehand was good. But, as far as the jai alai is concerned, it was just okay. Actually, watching it once in my life was more than enough for me. To be honest with you, the only reason I went is because whenever I tell people that I winter in Florida, many of them ask me if I’ve been to see jai alai and I’m embarrassed to say, ‘no.” Now I can tell them I have,” Dad reasoned.