On showing up...

First, I want to note that I *am* writing—not quite like this, but…writing. Just not here.

Writing is like athletics in a way. When you don’t exercise for a while, you start losing your muscle tone, your speed, and your endurance. I hadn’t written in so long that I decided I needed to do some remedial work—and you don’t really want to do that in public. Especially not when what you write on the Internet is—supposedly—out there forever.

So I’ve been writing with a pen. On paper. It feels almost subversive. And I intend to keep doing that until my writing muscles are back in shape.

But today, I’m coming out of my pen-and-paper reveries to write about Showing Up.

As I type this, I’m sitting in a high school stadium watching Dear Friend compete in the local Senior Games. He’s running the 400 meters now, and he’s well ahead of his only competitor. If he wins this race—as he undoubtedly will—it will be his NINTH gold medal in the Senior Games. 

(He did. By the time I got ready to post this, the gold medal total was 13.)

DF is a great all-around athlete. He’s not the fastest or the strongest 60-64 year-old male in the county—but he is in great shape and he shows up. The other, faster, stronger 60-64 year-old males who could have bested him stayed home today.

The last time he did this, I joked that 90% of winning was just showing up.

But I was wrong—it’s 100%. You can’t win if you don’t show up.

Lesson learned.

Back to pen and paper...but I'll see you soon.