How sweet!! Rafa practised off site today and posted this picture on his Facebook with the following message ...
"Today I had a practice at another club and I was surprised because many childrens came!!"
Why surprised, Rafa?? The childrens love you! Sure, it does seem a bit chaotic practising at Roland Garros and the walkways don't seem to give him much protection and space. So whilst its a big disappointment for his fans there, it looks like wherever he is today gives him a bit more colm.
But the thing is ... look at the face of that little girl as she holds and stares at the ball that Rafa's just signed for her. And we all think its wonderful that he does this sort of thing for the kids, but the thing is ... it doesn't really matter if you're seven or forty-seven, the feeling of excitement is just the same. Which is why I get a bit cheesed off with the sniffiness around getting an autograph or photograph with Rafa. I'll never advocate anything that resembles a mob, but I remember one girl explaining once on another blog about why do it ... "Because it feels nice".
Yes, it does. As a fan to have a momento that Rafa has signed for you, is something to treasure and will become a treasured memory. And lets face it, as a fan you have an extremely limited chance of ever being remotely near him, so when you do, you take your chance ... you ask for an autograph or a photograph. And whilst its common courtesy to be polite about it, why not? Why not take your chance? I'm not for Rafa being invaded in his personal life or personal time at all, and the reason I think that is because he is so generous in those public areas of his life; in the tennis environment and arena. And that's where he has to expect it. Its helped to make him a very rich man ...
"... it feels nice." I'm sure that little girl has recounted the story of her meeting with Rafa today over and over, and she'll stare at that ball last thing tonight and first thing in the morning. And as I said, you don't have to be a little girl to have that feeling, because it affects us all the same way. It feels nice, so thanks to Rafa for doing it.
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