I just have to make a quick post before I try and get some sleep--a rhetorical question to put out there into the blogosphere. I played pretty well tonight, but still lost, as did my team. It was the finals, but my team is already qualified for the local team championships, so there wasn't that much at stake for us. I could tell even during practice, the other team wanted it more and was willing to play their hearts out for it.
Not that I didn't try.
But last week, although the stakes were the same (with the added incentive that winning meant we got to play another week, and a personal quest to finally win on that god-forsaken, red-felted bar table), and yet I was able to dial in and do what it took to win. I played my heart out, and even if it had gone the other way, I think I would have felt great. This week, I shot quite well. I even had my first break and run. But I rushed some key chances early on, and then took a few too many risks later. And even if things gone the other way, I'd feel better, but not great. Because I didn't play my heart out.
There's just something about giving it your all.
I sometimes wonder why I play pool. Yeah, I like the social aspect. I like the intellectual/strategic side. I like learning. I just like watching colored spheres collide on felt (blue or green, thank you). But at the end of the day, its the chance to play my heart out and for just a little while, give my all towards one, maybe silly and ultimately meaningless goal. There's nothing quite like it. And when you don't do it, you know.
So maybe its not possible to play your heart out every time. But I got a lot of pool coming up over the next two weeks, and I'm going to try.
2 comments:
My first response would be you do if you want to win every time. Upon consideration I realized before I play my heart out it has to be fun. Just not going to happen every single if you are playing 4 -5 times a week. Life gets in the way. My .02 cents
Congrats on the B&R! There will be lots more on the way...
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