Creative Writing - What I Want To Focus On In Final Project - Timed 20 Minutes

16 Mar 21 - 

What I’d like to focus on in final project.\

Spend 15 or 20 minutes writing about what you’d like to focus on in your final project. Write about some of the options you have, and explore through your writing if there might be a way to connect some of these options. For example, you could combine baking and traveling, or mountain climbing and philosophy, or gymnastics and video games. You are the unique meeting point of different passions and interests. Often we need an outside eye to see the connections between our different interests.

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The first time Shaun mentioned that his project would be about his feet, running shoes, and running, I knew with certainty mine would be about my tennis racket, my hand hanging on to it for dear life, and tennis.

I had stumbled on playing tennis late in life. I was 50-ish.

I was inspired by my two daughters. When they were six, I insisted they try a variety of different sports. Not necessarily play or commit to them. Or to one of them. Just try. Expose yourself. How do you know if you'll like, or, perhaps, even love something if you don't at least try? As in sports.  As in life.  

Both my daughters discarded all the sports they tried. Soccer. Softball. Basketball. Badminton. Running. Gymnastics. Golf. Sailing. Even dance classes.

Except... tennis. Both gravitated to tennis. 

I remember the very moment I knew I wanted to play tennis.  It was the instant I walked into the tennis facility in Rancho Bernardo, California where my older daughter was playing her first tennis tournament.  She was 10. The excitement in the air at this little tennis 10 and under tournament got my juices flowing. 

I knew then that I not only wanted to play tennis.  I wanted to compete.  Play tournament-level tennis, just like her.

I played sports most of my life. I was a good enough athlete and worked hard enough to play football at UCLA. Only for one year due to injury. But I stayed active during college and Law School working out in the gym and playing lots of pickup basketball at Pauley Pavilion.

After that, the US Marine Corps made sure I was in shape at all times. And, I ended up playing a fair amount of racketball in those days, too. 

And, then, after the Marines, I hit my physical activity doldrums. I was sportless. For the first time in my life. It was when I was practicing corporate law and then later morphed myself into an executive and entrepreneur. Married. Started a family. You know. Life.

My sports doldrum lingered for over a decade. 

Until that day of my daughter's 10 and Under Junior Satellite Tennis Tournament.

It hit me like a lightning bolt. I knew I had to do it. I knew I had to play tennis. And I knew I had to compete. I had to.  There was no choice.

With all of that backstory in mind now, I plan to write my final project on my journey with my tennis racket in my sweaty hand. 

One theme is that tennis is a microcosm of life. I like to say it IS life.

To be good at and get the most out of both takes awareness of who and where you are. And who and where you want to go.  How good do you really want to be?  How much are you willing to sacrifice and risk?

Success at both tennis and life take practice, the intention to improve, and the will to stay on your path.  

You want to make both fun.  And you also want to take both the process and results of both tennis and life seriously.

Both involve overcoming obstacles, competitors, opponents, and unanticipated circumstances that are outside of your control.  How do you cope with them?  How do you overcome them?  How do you handle them mentally, physically, and emotionally?  Even spiritually, perhaps?

I also intend to introduce a variety of characters I encountered along my tennis tournament journey.  Some became friends simply because we had a desire to beat each other up on court. And gained high levels of mutual respect during the battle. As in life.

And places. Geography. Settings for tennis tournaments and matches. Perfect and imperfect conditions that you have to deal with rather than whine about or use as excuses for not performing at your highest and best level. As in life. 

I could go on and on. But, I am going to do my best to restrain myself and honor the 1,000 word limit for the project. I’m thinking that will be my biggest obstacle and challenge. However, that's the assignment. The “rule."

And, I feel that in writing assignments like this, it's important to adhere to the rules. As it is tennis. As it is in life.