"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting."-A so-so bad guy quote from a terrible movie I've seen too many times on USA/TBS/TNT. Look it up if you really want to know.
It was a rough night on the court for Ziggy's Zappers, which is the name of my men's rec league club. We ran into the second-best squad (The Dirty 13th) and left the court with a little less dignity than we had prior to tip-off. I won't go into details about that, though.
I'm more interested in the drive home, when I was thinking about the contest. The Dirty 13th are a fast, physical club. They run, they play defense, they frustrate their opponents. As I was driving home, I began making vows. To join the gym. To run. To lift weights. To work on my jump shot. To be better at basketball for future clashes with The Dirty 13th. My competitive fire flared.
Then, I remembered that I'm 30. It's not very important to be good at basketball at this point in my life. Rather than dedicate extra hours to working on such a skill, I should work towards being a better friend, uncle, boyfriend, writer, bad movie buff, Scrabble player, etc.
I know that I sound like a stereotypical, whiny "guy," but sometimes it's tough to turn off the deep-seeded drive tied to athletics. The one that causes me to swear at soccer refs and still dream of being a major league pitcher or an NFL wide receiver.
Anyway, I won't be headed to the Y at 6:30 tomorrow morning.
**Photo found on myspaceantics.com
3 comments:
I share your frustration, Ted. I have to believe that there's some appropriate middle-ground for us 30-year-olds: something between unrealistic pursuit of athletic prowess that we once had, could've had, or should've had a decade or so ago, and accepting defeat and preparing for the gradual decent into middle-aged 'weekend warrior' status.
But exactly what that middle ground is, I have no idea. I've never been in tip-top shape, and my desire to work out or run comes and goes. And there's something very unsatisfying about that cycle, as it ensures I (we) will always lose to the Dirty 13ths of the world. I have a hard time accepting that we should just give up. But at the same time, it's hard to argue against focusing on friends, family, and Scrabble.
Great post.
1) Ziggy's Zappers is a great name.
2) I'm ignoring this post for about 17 months. :)
I like you just the way you are, Ted.
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