Balls.

This is a post about sports, in case you came here with other expectations.

Here is a timeline of my involvement in sports:

1983 - took gymnastics at the age of 5. i think i learned to do a somersault, but not that well.

1984 - started swimming lessons. continued for several years until they started asking me to do hard things like dive.

1986 - one summer on a T-ball team. last person to receive the "MVP" award (free fries at McDonalds). only got it because it was required that every child win at least once. never really understood the rules of the game. once tripped and fell while running home, leaving me emotionally scarred for life.

1989 - played on grade 6 volleyball team. wasn't too bad at it. highlight of my life in sports.

1990 - tried out for grade 7/8 volleyball team. realized i was WAY out of my league.

highschool - figured i'd better stick to musicals.

And that, my friends, was pretty much it...until recently. Two years ago Phil asked me to sub a few times on his ultimate frisbee team. Though I felt like a 75-year-old with emphysema while playing, I enjoyed myself and didn't feel as incompetent as I'd feared I might. This year Nicole asked me to be on her dodgeball team, Electric Tigers Dodgebrawl, and after much hemming and hawing and "wah wah wah, what if I'm not good enough?" I agreed, and have loved the experience. I've also been subbing on Phil's softball team and have been getting better at that every game.

So the lesson here, folks, is that I'm amazing at sports. No wait, the lesson is that Nicole really knows how to name a team. No wait, the REAL lesson that I REALLY wanted to share, is that now is the perfect time to take up that activity you never thought you would. Check out the Not So Pro and TSSC sites if you want to join a sports team. Or...take singing lessons if you "can't sing" and go volunteer in another country if you're "not adventurous". The best way to be the type of person you want to be, is to start acting that way. Eventually it'll just come naturally.

Well, I'm off to find some balls to play with. I suggest you do the same.