Enough is enough....

If I have a fatal flaw, its probably that I want to know everything. And, I want to know it now. I would happily drown trying to drink too much and too fast from the fire hydrant of all things pool related.

After the end of the league summer session, the coming and going of the Singles Regional, my sideline envy of participants in the US Amateur, I was ready to dive right in with new determination, devour knowledge, practice intensely and kick major butt.

And then something unexpected happened.

Just as I was getting ready to set up a renewed and revived schedule with Coach, he said that he couldn't coach me anymore. :-(

Suddenly, my path to greatness seemed that much harder and much less fun. Left to my own devices, I wander and digress and develop bad habits. And while there are a great many options for help, they are mostly piecemeal and not the same as having a mentor. This was very bad news.

And then I wondered:
They say that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. Does that also mean that when the student is ready the teacher will go away?

As I stopped fighting the reality, I realized that maybe this is a good thing. Coach is by far the best pool teacher I have ever had. But sometimes, I've felt that Coach pushed things a little too fast. He would repeat mercilessly within one session, but the next session he would move onto something else without going back over what I had learned last time. I'm very quick to catch on to a new shot in practice, but over time that momentary mastery seems to fade, and its then added to the list of many things that I know, that I can try, but just can't rely on.

Its like what they say, an amateur will practice a shot until they can make it, a pro will practice until they can't miss it. I'm such an amateur.

So, enough is enough. I know enough to play some very good pool. Better pool than I actually play. So, I'm putting it all away, and starting all over again, from the beginning, and learn how to make the most of what I already have.

Thanks, Coach, for all your help...but I'll be okay on my own...(until you or another teacher show up again).