Walls that should have jumped and flash frozen shoulders ....

The last time that Italy was in the World Cup Final was the summer of 1994 and I was working the overnight shift at the Melrose Shell Station on the busy corner of Main Street and the Lynn Fells Parkway.

The spring of papers on the imagery in Henry IV, working on the college newspaper and serene walks through campus with new fond love gave way to a summer of sweeping up around the pumps, learning about every type of cigarette made, getting a mild scratch ticket addiction and shooting the breeze with the various creatures of the night that ambled into the only game in town (aside from the all night Brooks in the plaza next door.) Two of the more memorable people were the American Indian guy in his 20's with long black hair who always wore a sleeveless Guns and Roses t-shirt to show off his Axl Rose tattoo. We had the same conversation every week.

"I think 'Sweet Child of Mine' is their most heart felt song ..."

"'November Rain' dude ... pack of Marlboro Reds ... hard pack"

Then there was the drunk part-time oldies weekend dj who would come in at 4:30 in the morning and do the Herald crossword puzzle for free on a piece of scratch paper, have a small coffee that he usually wouldn't pay for and start screaming about how R.E.M. were a poor man's Byrds.

But the World Cup - oh yes - I was following it. And being 25% Italian (Big Ups Grandma Dolly!) I bought a big Italian Tri Color and hung it behind me in the cashier booth when I worked. I thought it would be a conversation starter with Don - the godfather of soccer in Melrose. He was straight from Italy and started the Melrose Soccer League just a few years before I started in 2nd grade. He was notorious for arguing with refs - but you have to hand it to him for introducing the game to the bedroom community that Was Melrose in the early 80's. His son went on to be Mayor and was briefly a contender to be the Lieutenant Governor. I always played left or right fullback - not the most prestigious position, but I am glad that I did all that running in my youth before I could think of it as a chore. Another guy on my elementary school team went on to be one of the top skateboarders in the world ... Andy MacDonald. We should have known something was up because he sued to run at brick walls and completely do a back flip. Soccer to me at the time was running in the cool fall breeze, eating orange wedges, adjusting my shin pads and drawing in the dirt when I was out of the game.

So at age 20, out of shape me (which at the time was 10 lbs over weight) listened to the games on the little radio at the store. I think the day that Brazil won I happenned to be in Allston with my parents and there were impromptu parades of honking cars in the heavily Brazilian enclaves we drove through to get back to the North Shore.

So, 12 years later I watched Italy win the World Cup Final on penalty kicks from the perch of my elliptical machine at the Boston Sports Club. There weren't that many people in the gym - but a few hoots and hollers were heard. The flat tv screen switched to a shot of City Hall Plaza where the heavily pro Italy faction went crazy. I had passed the mob scene earlier as I took the bus detour between Kendall and Park Street. Should I ever take up the game again - here is a link of how to make an effective wall.