The following drama could be used on its own or on week one of the series, “What Are You Waiting For?” by Chris Walker. Permission is granted for use of this drama as long as the attribution is retained.
Copyright Statement: —© Ruth Saukas 2011. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
Scene:
Father and young son playing football together. Only prop needed is a football. Some of the humor of the skit rests on the poor record of the Detroit Lions and would make most sense in a Michigan context. However, both the sport and team could be exchanged for one that has a poor record in your own state or area.
| [Son runs onto stage] | |
| Son: | Hurry up, Dad! What are you waiting for? Come on! |
| Father: | I had to get the ball. Now, the way you grip it is like this. Remember what we talked about before? Place your finger between the threads and stretch your thumb around here. Okay, you try it. . . . Not bad! Stretch your fingers out a little more and bring your arm back. That’s it. Got a good grip? Okay, give it a try. [Son throws to Dad.] Not bad. [Dad throws it back.] That’s it, catch it and pull it into your body. [They throw back and forth, with Dad encouraging.] Good job. . . . That’s it. . . . You’re getting it. |
| Son: | You’re doing pretty well too, Dad. But you’re not pulling it into your body. |
| Father: | You’re right, I’ve been doing this so long that I start to think I can’t make a mistake. |
| Son: | You know, I can hardly wait until I’m old enough to play for the high school team. |
| Father: | That’s a good plan, Son. But you’ve got a lot of time to wait and a fair amount of work to do. |
| Son: | Uh-huh, uh-huh, then I’m going to play for Michigan or Michigan State. But not Ohio State—never them! |
| Father: | I should hope not! Keep working at it; you’ve got a great goal in mind. |
| Son: | Then I’m going to play for the Detroit Lions, and I’m going to win like they do. Every year. |
| Father: | [Stops throwing and looks at the ball.] Son, I’ve been waiting a lot of years to see that happen. Your grandpa’s been waiting since 1957 to see them in the Super Bowl. |
| Son: | How many years is that? |
| Father: | Oh, like over 60 years. |
| Son: | [Aghast.] You mean this is the first time in 60 years they might have a winning team?!! |
| Father: | Yep. |
| Son: | [Stops throwing and looks at the ball.] Now I don’t know if I want to play for them. . . . Maybe I should play for the New England Patriots or the Green Bay Packers. I don’t want to have to wait 60 years. I’d be dead by then! |
| Father: | Good point. But you’re still going to have to wait and work to get where you want to be—whatever team you’re on. |
| Son: | I’d rather just pick a winning team and be on that one right away. |
| Father: | It doesn’t usually work that way, Son. |
| Son: | But I don’t want to have to wait forever to see my team win. Just waiting around—that’s boring. |
| Father: | Well, it might be, but it doesn’t have to be. A lot of the work, like the practice, the learning, and the preparation, is done in the time you’re waiting. Building fitness and skill, a team spirit, a determination—that all takes time and patience. |
| Son: | I’m determined, and I’m pretty good. But I don’t want to wait so long. It would be too hard. |
| Father: | How do I explain this? Okay, you know how you wait for Christmas to come all of December? You’re excited, you plan things, you go to special events, you go to church, you shop, you wrap, you bake stuff. Then finally it’s Christmas! And you’re ready for it. What if you started waiting for Christmas on December 1 and it came on December 2? You wouldn’t be ready, and you would have missed out on all the good stuff that happens beforehand while you’re waiting. Even the anticipation part—you know, being excited about waiting—that’s a good thing. Do you get it? |
| Son: | I can’t get too excited about waiting, but okay, if I gotta, I gotta. But I’m still gonna play for the Lions and win and go to the Super Bowl! |
| Father: | I’ve been waiting for that my whole life, Son, and I’m still waiting. But it’s been a sweet hope so far, and maybe this is the year! |
| Son: | Come on, Dad, throw it! What are you waiting for? —© Ruth Saukas 2011. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission. |
