Recognition…
This is going to be a very short blog tonight. It’s Sunday evening (LATE Sunday evening) and I just finished playing a nine inning baseball game in 100 degree Northern Virginia humidity. Needless to say, I’m pretty work out by all the things I have been doing for the last couple of weeks. There’s a ton of work on my plate right now…
In some cases, this really has been a tale of two different summers. Last summer, I had my unemployment status hanging over my head like a huge Charlie Brown rain cloud, yet, when ever I went to the park, I had no problems getting base hits all season long. In 24 games (including playoffs), I struck out 3 times and darn near averaged 2 hits a game. This year, now that I AM employed, in less than 10 games so far, I have three hits and one strike out. I’m hotting the ball but not decent enough to find grass or the open spot in the infield.
But really, the funny thing is, I’m pressing big time. I’m trying to duplicate the same things I did last year but I can’t. Last year, baseball was almost the last thing on my mind. Hitting was the last thing on my mind. And yet I hot like wildfire. This year, I SHOULD be completely relaxed but for whatever reason, I’m anxious and nervous and pressing way too hard.
That’s the funny thing about baseball. I’m often accused of way too often of saying how much baseball is like life – but when you go through a tough spot like I’m going through right now, it really is. For example, how many of us try to consciously make really successful and funny strips only to get frustrated when our expectations aren’t being met like we think they should? How many of us go back to the drawing board and try even harder – only to be welcomed when that same kind of frustration double-fold?
But then one night, we simply start drawing or writing without any kind of expectations, and suddenly, you realize you’ve just written the funniest strip you’ve ever done. While not thinking about it, you were able to tap into your subconscious and let it do its work.
I’ve often said dating can be like that too… you never seem to FIND love or a relationship when YOU want it the most, or when you make a conscious effort to force the issue. You always seem desperate, weird, creepy and so on and so on. That’s because you’re not acting relaxed and confident. You’re over-thinking your approach… what line to say… where and when to say it and it always comes off as being flat, insincere or overly thought out.
But then you’re out one night, minding your own business and thinking of anything BUT a relationship when you bump into someone. You strike up an easy going conversation and then, before you know it, the people working at Starbucks are kicking both of you out of their store ‘cuz they wanna go home for the evening.
Can you name some other things in your life where pressing led to really bad results?
Boy, this wasn’t supposed to be very long. Don’t know what happened there – but it’s also proof what happens when you let your mind wonder and not think about things too much.
-Chris
