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LOSE A PASSION,
FIND A PASSION |
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I've sunk to a new low. I've taken up Pickleball.
For those of you unfamiliar with Pickleball, it's the fastest
growing sport in America. It's played on a court about a quarter the size
of a tennis court, and it's perfect for old people. And I'm now
certifiably old.
You play only doubles, you don't have to move nearly as much
as tennis, and it's played with a paddle and a wiffle ball that can't hurt
you when it smacks into your chest. Like I said, perfect for old people.
I resisted for quite some time. I played once a few years
ago, when Pickleball was just becoming popular. In my first game, I
smacked a winning overhead against the opposing doubles team, and grunted
my dominance.
"YOU STEPPED IN THE KITCHEN!" my opponent shouted.
"That's our point!"
The Kitchen?? That's what they call the restricted area that
extends five feet or so from the net, preventing a player from doing
exactly what I did. Very irritating. Combined with a required wimpy
underhand serve, a complicated scoring system, and the ridiculous name of
"Pickleball," I quickly vowed to never play again.
But now I've changed my tune, and I'll tell you why. Pure and
simple, it has to do with the secret of happiness.
We all want to go forward, not backward. No matter what we're
doing, we want to get better at it. Whether it's crossword puzzles,
cooking, dieting, the workplace or whatever, nothing gives us more
pleasure and happiness than improvement.
I like to use sports as an example. My passion through high
school, college and well into my 30's was basketball. I loved it, and
eagerly played any chance I got. Then one day in my late 30's I went in
for a soaring layup, and my body didn't soar. And thus began the
inevitable decline.
As the injuries mounted and my vertical leap and quickness
dissipated, it wasn't nearly as much fun. Time to move on to a less
demanding sport where I could improve---tennis.
I was obsessed throughout my 40's with tennis. For the first
few years, I'd get better and better. True happiness. And then somewhere
around the age of 52, I peaked. Nowhere to go but down.
On to golf. Same scenario---rapid improvement, less wear and
tear on the body, and absolutely obsessed with the game. Better and better
for the first few years, and then at least a chance to improve every year.
Until about two years ago, when I suddenly couldn't hit the ball quite so
far. Still fun, but not like it used to be. Bam Bam needs new sport.
I wasn't quite ready for bocce ball. That's my last resort,
maybe when I turn 80 (I'm only 67). I can dress in all whites and spill
red wine all over me while rolling those balls. But that's on the back
burner for now.
No, I needed a new sport that not only could give me some
exercise but also would allow me to pursue the happiness of improving. As
opposed to basketball, tennis, and golf, where I depressingly regressed
after hitting my peak.
Enter Pickleball. As I said, I didn't want anything to do
with it after my initial experience. But it seems everyone I know is
taking it up, including my wife. The time had come.
I started playing in the last few months. The bad news is I'm
not very good. The good news, though, is that I'm not very good and have
huge room for improvement. I'm getting better each time out, and that is
really, really fun.
It's not a passion yet, but it could be very soon. I still
play tennis and golf (basketball ran its course a long time ago) but the
passion for those sports is dwindling. Pickleball is the new frontier, and
I'm slowly jumping on the bandwagon.
That's my secret of happiness, at least for today. Find your
passion. If it's indeed a passion, it's only natural to improve. Age is
irrelevant. There's always something out there that can fill the void.
Maybe it's gardening, maybe it's charity work, maybe it's
growing a business. The more you do it, the more you'll improve. Until you
don't. Then it's time to find another one. Keep the old ones, but move on.
Pickleball might do it for me. And after I become a national
champion, I'm going to campaign to change the name.
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