I’ve always wondered what my life would have been like if I hadn’t blown off soccer.
Not that I was any good, you see, but there is something about the flexibility and fluidity needed for playing that makes me think that there were good lessons to be learned there on that muddy field, lessons I passed up in a storm of ‘Really? I really have to do this?’ and general whining and bratty pre-teen bitching.
But I wonder what would have been if I’d had the stick-to-it ness I needed to become good on the flute, as well.
(My flute teacher had a faint sibilant French accent that was, retrospectively, creepy as all hell. ‘You have not been practisssssing to your potential, Jessssica. Why would you wound your flute sssso?’)
There are so many twists and turns on our lives, so many paths we’ve never taken, so many intersection points where we switched lanes and jumped on a new bandwagon, abandoning the old in favour of the shiny new. I envy people that decided early on that they would stay with one thing – and then went on to be fulfilled with that. Clever.
I’m not clever. I’ve been hop-scotching through hobbies and pastimes my whole life – (clarinet to flute to piano to soccer to shotput to volleyball to drama to writing to cross-stitch to cooking to photography to ??) guaranteeing that while I’m an expert at just about nothing, I know a little about a lot of things – usually just enough to get me in trouble.
My father is not a hopper. While always learning and rehoning his skills, he’s been playing the bass and the banjo and taking photographs for ever. He’s good at it.
I’m a little jealous of that. Maybe if I’d just stuck with soccer……
(nah. I still don't like the idea of all the mud.)
12 comments:
I so hear you on this. Its the stick to itness that I seem to no longer have, and only seemed to have in art school.
I love how your flute teacher told you you wounded your flute. Hilarious!
it wasn't the mud that got me with soccer, it was the running! my knees! My old, arthritic knees!
As for any instrument at all - my parents put the brakes on that dream - no $ - besides, who would have watched my brother and sister if I would have actually wanted to participate in extra-curricular activities?
I studied German for eight years and then didn't travel to Germany or maintain my language skills in any way. I've regretted that for years.
I've.never.had.any.sticktoitness.
If you only understood how bad I am, you'd be feeling mighty fine.
I hear you. Does this sound familiar, "jack of all trades, master of none"? The things I wanted to stick to cost money that I didn't have and the ones that I did eventually fell by the wayside.
In a sense, I've picked one back up. The blogging is just a new way to resume the writing. I'll never be the best, but I'm pleased with what I turn out the majority of the time.
Here I think your photography is miles better than mine. I'd love to see your Dad's someday...
On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with dabbling.
Never too late to stick to something though....
You are what you is.
The only thing I've stuck with are my friends. I'm a dilettante and I like it.
-J.
I like Blackbird's word--dabbling. And my word is eclectic. Because I am, and darn proud!
Most folks in my family have been hopscotch-ers, you have to be if you move every three years.
I wonder what it would have been like if I'd stuck with soccer too.
xo,
SL
You flute abuser you! Look at Olympic gymnasts though. Would you trade your well rounded life for theirs?? I think not.
I'm a bit of a hoppper myself, except for when I started tap-dancing. Took a real passion to make me stick at something.
Yup, passion... you have to find what it is you are passionate about... that's when you stick to it...
Soccer... I wish I had had the same opportunities my kids have now when I was growing up... I'd have been a great soccer player... as it is, I play soccer twice a week... and I'm not half-bad, but nowhere near as good as my kids are going to be.
I also wish I could have learned to play piano...
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