Life is like Racquetball
Tonight I played racquetball for the first time and here’s how it went:
Hour 1
My swings were awkward. I couldn’t hit the ball where I wanted to. I missed the ball with the racquet. Not joking.
Hour 2
Swings became smoother. I had more power over the ball’s direction. I won the game (with a ten point handicap…)!
This got me thinking about how life is a lot like racquetball.
Throughout life we constantly try new things. It’s just like the cliché, variety is the spice of life. The dreaded learning curve happens in nearly every new task I tr
y. I have yet to start a new job or activity and hit the ball like I’ve been doing it for years.
When I started playing the piano there was a huge learning curve. I took baby steps. I started with notes then progressed to chords and twelve years later I could play The Flight of the Bumblebee.
When I started my job at the bank, I had no idea how to hold money in my hand in order to efficiently count it. I really stunk at customer service. And now I can tell you about Reg CC and tell you all about how we process deposits.
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The first time you do anything will be frustrating. It’s nearly impossible to do the task like you’ve been doing it for years.
I know my first year teaching will be challenging. Let’s be honest, I have never had my own classroom.
Sure I’ve poured four years of my life into learning how to teach but I can’t pretend I know all of the answers. Inevitably, there will be 
situations that I may feel unprepared to handle.
But what fun would it be to know everything the first time? There would be no room for growth and mistakes.
Mistakes hold a deep stigma in society but my dad says that it’s not a tragedy to make a mistake. The tragedy is when you don’t learn from your mistake.
I’m ready to make mistakes because I know I will take advantage of the opportunity and grow from the experience.
No, I don’t know everything but with time and practice I can surely play some mean racquetball…without the handicap.
This is just what I needed! I’ve been thinking “what the heck am I doing, there is no way I can have my own classroom right now!” But you are right, what fun would it be to know everything when you’re just starting out.
I agree! I love the element of surprise which is why I think I’ll enjoy teaching so much. Teenagers will always keep me on my toes.
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