Practice

Remember that old joke about the tourist who asks a native New Yorker how to get to Carnegie Hall? And the native says, "Practice, practice, practice."

Well, that's what I've been thinking about today. No, not how to get to Carnegie Hall -- I could figure that out from Google Maps. No, I've been thinking about the value of practice.

There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that Tanner beat me at tennis again the other day. This is not right. Oh sure, he's younger, quicker, and smarter than I am, but I have the experience, cunning, and strategic mindset that should allow me to overcome his greater talent. Plus, I'm still supporting him financially, and that should count for something, right?

Another motivation to practice is that I'm still feeling somewhat tapered from my preparation for the Horsetooth 10K, and still somewhat psyched from watching the Olympics. I don't know if the general public pays any attention to the overall quality of the competitors -- but there is SO much more to be inspired by than just Phelps and Torres. Just the general energy and enthusiasm the swimmers bring to the pool gets me fired up. So...since I'm already in reasonable shape, why not train even harder and see if maybe I could improve a bit more?

But back to the Carnegie Hall thing: I'm very pleased by the fact that Tanner is practicing so hard to improve his piano playing — and his musical skills in general. His natural talent has always made music easy for him, but he has now decided that he wants to be excellent, as opposed to just really good. I'm hoping that this extra practice results in gainful employment of some sort, but the jury isn't in yet. I'll let you know, though.

In the meantime, I shall continue to practice those skills that are important to me. And I'll ask this question: Is there anything that YOU should be practicing? Maybe we can work together to keep each other inspired and motivated. Give it some thought, OK? Thanks, and have a great day!