It's official. I don't have "hops" anymore. In other words, my vertical leap is hardly a leap and not necessarily vertical. But that's okay because I am (grudgingly) listening to the truth.
I shot hoops at the neighborhood park yesterday, taking about a half-hour of slow efforts to bring back the wonderful sound of a basketball net snapping to the force of a basketball moving forcefully through the hoop, hitting nothing but net. I didn't have many of those either, but I had a good time. Slower, less accurate and frequent reminders that it has been several years since I have confronted a backboard and basket: The truth will set you free.
I am now "free" to shoot and miss a lot, but enjoy the exercise and movement; I am free to walk and not feel badly that I am not racing at high school speed; I am free to have fun without being competitive. As with most truths, they seem obvious but are hard to accept. The truth is that generally we don't have to be the best, as good as we used to be, or competing for the top position or rank of what we do; likewise, we can't surrender to age, diminished capabilities or lost opportunities. Never surrender, always grow: life is a participation game.
