Elliot Potostsky

A Moment to Live In

Elliot Potosky

The smell of buttery popcorn and greasy french fries filled the warm July air. I never thought the color blue could look so good on someone. Her head was cradled by the crevices of my shoulder, while my neck served as a soft pillow to support her every move. As if a spell had been casted by the surrounding lights, our minds were enchanted like never before. It was after that quick moment of astonishment that I remembered we were not alone.

“Fiesta Shows” travels to my hometown once a year, leaving only four days to live life on the edge. I did not plan on wasting any time. Once my baseball game finally ended, my friends and I, along with my girlfriend, Abby, rushed to our cars and drove to one of our favorite spots in Sharon, Massachusetts. Normally, we would go to that spot to play basketball, but now those basketball courts were dead and the streets were alive.

Once the sun set, everything changed. It was the first time the company was allowed to travel since the pandemic and people were packed in the venue like canned sardines. Looking at all the illumination was like staring directly at the sun. My mouth watered at the scent of fried dough while my ears rang from all the screaming. Children’s jaws dropped as they watched the mountains of machinery turn on before their very eyes.

After about an hour of shortened breaths, pounding from the heart, silent yells for help, and trying to prevent our stomachs from entering our throats, my friends and I stopped going on the thrill rides. Not to mention, our pockets were getting thin. Suddenly, a soothing yet tingly sensation ran up my spine, like an angel had wrapped its wings around my body.

My head slowly rotated to the left as my eyes shifted downward. Caught completely off guard, my girlfriend’s head now rested on my left shoulder. I let out a little smile, doing my best not to get too overwhelmed in public. Abby was much better at concealing her emotions than I was, as she barely let out a grin. Nevertheless, the second our eyes met, I knew she was happy. In fact, it was the happiest I had seen her be with me when my friends were around.

Some say that real love can present itself at any point of time. And although I had fallen for Abby months prior to this night, the same goosebumps perked up on my skin, as my heart began to weigh down my chest. Only my closest friends knew how much this girl meant to me. Just feeling her soft hair brush against my skin reminded me that she felt the same way. It was, and still is, so easy to love her.

What lasted for less than a minute felt like hours. Having been so hypnotized by the atmosphere around me, I did not even notice someone had taken our picture. All I remember is staring into the night sky while my lungs inhaled a calming draft inhabited by the sweet scent of Summer. I was truly “living in the moment”. My favorite part about the photo is that Abby and I are happy, but someone looking at it for the first time might not think that because we are not smiling. Pure joy is natural. It should not involve phones, cameras, or social media. Happiness cannot be staged.

Abby always makes it a point to let me know when I am using my phone too much and not paying enough attention to her. It is one of the many reasons why I love her. She has made a huge impact in my life because of her belief in living in the moment. When I am older, it will be nice to have memories on camera, but I do not want to look back and think: Maybe I should have just put my phone down that one time….Maybe I should have just left my phone at home….It is

One of those decisions that once made, cannot be taken back. Time cannot be altered. Abby taught me this.

Elliot Pototsky is a Sports Communication major. He is from Sharon, MA and both his grandmother and great grandmother attended Lasell Junior College, class of 1936 and 1966, respectively.