I need an outlet. I need a fun activity, and it’s all right if I’m no
good at it.
It’s important for me to be a good mom, wife, teacher, and
friend. I’m prepared to suck at
everything else. And I do.
Here’s my thesis:
Don’t be afraid to try something new and suck at it. In fact, seek out opportunities to suck. It’s fun!
The other day, I suggested to a friend that we go do one of
those paint and sip art classes. You
know the ones? You drink a bottle of
wine and two hours later, you’ve got a painting in your hands? My friend said, “But I have no artistic
ability.” To which I said, “Who the hell
cares?”
 |
| Yeah, I framed it. |
I go to these classes and paint with the joy of a four
year-old. At one class, I sat next to my
lovely sister-in-law, who is studying to be an art teacher. She has…what are the words? Skill and talent. Yes, she’s actually really good. So while she was stepping back and looking at
the composition of her piece and carefully blending colors, I was merrily
slapping the canvas with a brush and saying things like, “I like your
painting! Do you like my painting? I
like my painting.” Exactly like a four
year-old.
Life is so much more fun if you give yourself permission to
do something and NOT be good at it. So
I’m not a good painter. That’s cool.
I’m not a very good triathlete, either. This will be my ninth summer of racing, and I
always placed in the bottom third of my age group. I’ve never cracked middle-of-the-pack, and
it’s fine. I do it, anyway. It’s not even that I like running! I’m slow and my right knee knows when it’s
going to rain, but even as I’m running, I think, “This is the easiest part of
my day.” It is so empowering to do
something that many people think is really hard, and know that everything else
you do in real life is actually harder.
Think about it. What’s harder
than being a special-needs parent? Nothing!
Racing gives me a sense of accomplishment. Finish lines are nice. Finish lines next to beer tents are even
nicer.
So if you’re thinking about trying a race, but you’re afraid
of coming in last, don’t worry! It
doesn’t matter. If I happen to cross the finish line before you, I will save you a beer!
And then there’s acting.
I do plays once in a while, and it’s great fun. My acting chops are at an acceptable level
for community theater. (I’ll let you
draw your own conclusions here.) But
even at this level, friends will ask me the questions. How do
you learn all those lines? Weren’t you
nervous? What if the scene gets messed
up or you forget a line? Isn’t that
embarrassing?
Embarrassing? Maybe,
a little. More embarrassing than dealing
with a DEFCON 1 meltdown in Target?*
No. More embarrassing than having
to climb into the plastic tubing at the McDonald’s Playplace to retrieve a
defiant child? Never. Community theater is easier than parenting.
Everything is
easier than parenting. Parenting is the
most important thing we do, so we need to reserve all our strength to do it
well. Let’s cut ourselves some slack on
the rest. We need fun. So think about something you’ve always wanted
to try…and try it! Get on out there and
don’t be afraid to SUCK!
*Contrary to popular belief, DEFCON 5 is the best state of
affairs. DEFCON 5 means peace. DEFCON 1 is World War III. Go back and watch War Games. I’ll wait here.
