HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-03-18, Page 13The joys of doing things badly
Spring is truly on its
way. And with we have
a sense of rebirth • and
new beginnings. So
what would you like to
try that's new? What
have you always want-
ed to do, but just never
got around to it? What
has that little voice
been asking for that
you've been ignoring
up until this point?
What about writing
poetry, or playing bas-
ketball, or dancing, or
art. What about learn-
ing a new language or
playing the violin?
Whatever it is, my
recommendation is to
do it—but don't try to
be good at it. Who has
time for that? My
advice is to get out
there and do whatever
it is – and do it badly!
Here's a true story. A
couple of years ago, a
friend of mine came
over to my house and
saw that I had a guitar.
"Hey, can I play your
guitar?" she asked.
"Sure. I didn't know
that you played."
"Oh, yes. I've been
playing badly for
years."
It probably took me
about ten minutes to
figure out what she had
said. She's played
badly for years? What
was she talking about?
I knew all of the words
that she had used in the
sentence. But put
together, the sentence
just didn't make
any sense.
The problem is
that we seldom do
anything that we
aren't good at. We
are taught ,from an
early age that only
those who are good
at things actually
get to play. We
learn in school that
only the best ath-
letes actually play
on the sports teams.
The rest of us watch
"Spring is
nature's way
of saying,
"Let's party! ,,
- Robin Williams.
and cheer
them on.
Only the
best singers
get to sing in
the.choir. The
rest of us
watch and
enjoy the
music. Only
the smart kids
go on the debate teams,
take part in spelling
bees, and take funky
tests named after
f a m o us
Mathematicians. And
the rest of us... well we
don't watch, cheer or
enjoy... (Being smart
isn't quite so glamor-
ous!)
Eventually we learn
that if we aren't good
at it then we don't do
it. So as life goes on
and we get jobs, fami-
lies, and other respon-
sibilities, we find our
free time quickly con-
sumed with watching
TV – continuing our
pattern of watching
other people do
things!!
But is that any fun?
What happened to the
fun in life? When do
we get to do things just
for kicks? Why do we
have to be good at
things in order to do
them?
We aren't being grad-
ed anymore. Our team
doesn't have to win the
championship! Us not
being fantastic at some-
thing has absolutely no
effect on any-
thing or any-
one at all. So
what's our
problem?
When I first
saw . the
motion pic-
ture "Mamma
Mia", I was
shocked at
who they picked for
actors and actresses –
not because of their
acting abilities – but
because they had to
sing—a lot!! And most
of the actors simply
weren't great singers.
But sing they did!!
The funny thing is
that now we own the
movie and do you know
which parts I love the
most? The less -than -
fantastic singing!!
Pierce Brosnan belts
out his songs with this
Bruce -S pringsteen-
meets-C l i nt-Eastwood
kind of voice. But he
puts so much passion
and heart into it, that
his songs are some of
my favourite parts of
the show.
And the whole movie
is like that. Is the cho-
reography great? Not
really. It's kind of
quirky and strange –
but the dancers are hav-
ing so much fun, that
you justhave to watch
it over and over again.
It's so quirky and that
we can relate to it.
Our society suffers
from a serious fun defi-
ciency. There is so much
pressure to achieve and
be the best that, in the
end, only kids are
allowed to have any fun.
But we can change that.
We can start doing things
that we love without
having the pressure of
having to be good at
them.
We can choose to play
basketball with our kids
even though we were the
ones on the debate team.
We can play the guitar
because we like the way
it sounds, not because
we have dreams of
sounding like Santana.
We can take a painting
class because we love
the colours and the way
the brush feels as it
flows over the canvas
without any plans of
fame or recognition.
We can take some sage
advice from Ms. Frizzle
on the Magic School
Bus. "Take chances,
make mistakes, and get
messy!!"
We have survived the
winter. Spring is here.
It's time to have some
fun!
For more informa-
tion about Katrina,
please visit
www. katrinabos. ca
GODERkH
Canada's prettiest town
REMIND
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TOWN OF GODERICH
2009 INTERIM TAX INSTALLMENT
DUE MARCH 31, 2009
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on April 1, 2009. If you have recently purchased property or
have not received a tax notice please contact the Town Hall,
57 West Street, Goderich, 524-8344. Tax payments may, be
made in the following ways: at financial institutions in the
Town of Goderich, municipal office (interact now available),
telephone/net banking, pre -authorized payments and post
dated cheques. After hour payments can be dropped
into the mailbox at the front of Town Hall.
Lori Rounds
Deputy Treasurer/ Tax Collector
Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, March 18, 2009 - Page A13
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