Out Of Practice
Practice? You talk'n bout practice?
My Sweetheart and I took a little trip over the three day weekend. Monday was President’s Day.
We spent a wonderful few days in Kentucky. It did rain a little on the way up Saturday. But it was absolutely gorgeous as we wandered our way around Sunday, and back down on Monday. It was really a lot of fun! And well needed. We’d not been off alone together in months.
With my new job requiring me to be in attendance 6 days a week, it’s difficult to travel these days. Pair that with the fact that I’m saving up all my vacation days for an extended trip out of the country next summer, and it’s virtually impossible. And our priorities have also changed in the past year — we’ve been very focused on the kids lately.
But that’s not what this essay is about.
Y’all — I’m out of practice. BIG TIME.
It was ridiculous. I made rookie mistakes.
Rookie Mistakes!
I got off the interstate in the inner city.
Yes, you read that right. I got off of the through road, in favor of inner city surface streets. It’s the biggest no-no. There’s nothing more dumb than this. Nothing. It cost us an additional hour and a half of high stress, dangerous travel. We are lucky to get out alive. (not really, I’m being dramatic, sort of;)
And then, if that’s not bad enough — y’all, I chose a cheap hotel in haste.
Without checking the reviews😱
It was bad. Bad, bad. Like, flip a coin on whether or not to just leave — forgoing a refund attempt, bad. But there were no bedbugs — or insects at all for that matter. And though the sheets had cigarette burn holes in them, they were clean. It was hella sketchy tho guys — we even took our bags with us when we went out for dinner.
Now when I’m alone, I’m not against a place like that. It’s almost fun. Almost. But not when I’m responsible for another — we can do better than that. And I’m putting the girls up at the Hyatt.
The thing that surprises me as I reflect on the weekend this morning though, isn’t those “mistakes”. It’s just how quickly I fell Out Of Practice.
I’m reminded of an NBA basketball player, Allen Iverson. He was a perennial 90’s All Star. This guy was super talented — a real superstar. But from what I could see, he lacked work ethic. Here’s the first thing that comes to mind when I hear anyone talking about AI. “Practice? You talk’n bout practice?”
Y’all I am a Traveler — not a Tourist.
And yet even though I have years of experience, I damn sure acted like a tourist during this past weekend. It was more like a National Lampoon’s road trip, than a seasoned traveler’s wandering weekend. Again, I must reiterate that we had a blast. So no worries.
But if I can fall Out Of Practice so easily at something I enjoy, and also consider myself a master of. How easy is it for us to get off track when it’s something more challenging?
Those New Year’s resolutions.
The commitment to be more mindful.
To pay attention to family, instead of a phone screen.
To thoughtfully reflect on how each day was spent, and how I treated others.
To hit the Pause Button, and consider a response before it’s made aloud.
To check the auto-pilot, and recenter.
To listen in order to understand, not so that I can respond.
If we don’t keep these things in front of us at all times — if we don’t stay in practice, we’ll easily find ourselves right back where we don’t want to be. Sleeping in a shit-hole, or driving circles around the inner city — instead of going straight on through to our destination using the path we’d so carefully laid out.
It’s all too easy to fall Out Of Practice. So we must remain vigilant, on guard.
Epictetus tells us “Capability is confirmed and grows in its corresponding actions, walking by walking, and running by running.”
He said that philosophy was something that should be kept at hand every day and night. The title of his book Enchiridion actually means “small thing in hand,” or handbook. And he advised his students to take disciplined daily action towards personal growth.
My daily journal, and this weekly blog are my attempts at keeping philosophy at hand. Those conversations with myself, and these with you my friends here, help me remain mindful. To remember to pause before I react. And to really listen when someone else is talking.
While talking with a friend this week about Hank’s book going to print, we got on the subject of practice and gaining experience. And how talent can only take you so far, that it also takes preparation and a good work ethic.
The thing is if you don’t practice, it doesn’t matter how much talent you have, you’re going to get rusty. I was flat Out Of Practice, when we tore out on that road trip last Saturday. It made no difference that I’d considered myself a Professional Traveler — that I’ve logged over half-a-million miles driving all over North America.
So I’ve learned a valuable lesson over this past week. Not just to stay on the through road or check reviews, though those lessons won’t likely be forgotten anytime soon.
But I must also remain vigilant, and practice daily — that just because I’ve “learned” something, doesn’t mean that I still know it.
I might even implement another stoic technique, Premeditatio Malorum 🤔 or the premeditation of evils to help be more prepared for what could go wrong next time. Hmm, maybe we’ll visit that subject in an essay soon…
Anyway, don’t be like AI. No, not that AI. But yeah, don’t be like it either. I mean don’t be like Allen Iverson. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Kobe sets us a much better example:
“Those times when you get up early and you work hard; those times when you stay up late and you work hard; those times when don’t feel like working — you’re too tired, you don’t want to push yourself — but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream. That’s the dream. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And if you guys can understand that, what you’ll see happen is that you won’t accomplish your dreams, your dreams won’t come true, something greater will.” -Kobe Bryant
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