Even When I'm Not the Best

The smartest and I play indoor soccer. If you just did a spit take, because you are familiar with me and my utter lack of coordination, I don't blame you. Growing up, I didn't play sports that involved balls or rackets or courts or goals... I ran. Very straightforward. But when the smartest decided he wanted to start playing soccer again, he asked me oh so sweetly of I would like to play also. I believe it went something like 'what fun we'll have playing soccer as a couple. Don't you want to play soccer as a couple?' I am completely beguiled by the smartest, so I of course agreed.

That was six years ago.

We still play. Every week. We love it. Its great exercise, and you really can't beat that. We play with friends, family, strangers... it all just depends on the season. We've actually won our league a total of 4 times, I think? Which might sound like a lot, but considering that we've had something like a million seasons... well anyway.

We won our league last season, and they bumped us up. Because no matter how slim of a victory you had, or now much one game you won was honestly based purely on luck, they still move you up to the next league.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I do not belong in the next league. I can hold my own... ish... with other people in the 25+ league. When you drop me in front of a bunch of college soccer players whose leg muscles make me want to weep... I'm not quite so good.

And yet, I do it anyway. Because I believe in doing things even when I'm not good at them. If I didn't, I'd never be able to do really anything, because I am pretty average at most things. Though I can wiggle my ears individually, which is a very handy skill if I do say so myself.

Life is full of moments when I'm not the best. Moments when I'm bad at running a business, or when I realize I've made an enormous mistake in a house project. I'm not always the best at things. But I do them anyway, because that's what life is.

I'm not the best at soccer. But you can find me on the field every Thursday night, because there are more important things than being the best, and getting the super-snazzy t-shirt that the title of the best comes with. Its about the process and the learning and finding a way to celebrate being your best, instead of the best. That's kind of how I feel about writing. I'm not the best. But I'm going to learn how to be my best, and maybe that'll take me someplace fantastic. And maybe that'll lead to less rolled ankles than soccer, too, because good grief do I spend a lot of time hobbling around on Fridays.