Snapping Turtles and The World Series

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmushrush/5244146/

When Game 6 of The World Series approached the eleventh inning, inspiration arrived:  How many times in life do we give up just because we perceive that the odds are stacked against us?

In case you didn’t see the game, The St. Louis Cardinals needed the win to stay in The World Series.  If they lost, they were out and The Texas Rangers would be The World Series Champions.

But it was more than needing a simple win.  The Cardinals had so many moments when they were one strike away from losing that I lost count.  As Paul White reported in USA Today: “...The Rangers were one strike from winning a World Series — in two consecutive innings. They led by three runs in the eighth inning and two in the ninth. They had a two-run lead again in the 10th inning.”

A Cardinal fan since childhood, I found myself not breathing for most of the end of the game, and stayed up way past my bedtime as the innings racked up.

Can you imagine being Lance Berkman or David Freese, the whole weight of the game on their shoulders—the entire World Series at stake?  And did they step up to bat thinking there was no way they could pull it off?  I don’t think so.

Professional sports teams are usually coached to play with gusto until the game is over, no matter what.  It ain’t over until it’s over, ya know?  And last night it went on, and on, and on…

http://www.photobucket.com/BULL_2008b+w

My husband calls this trait “Snapping Turtle Tenacity.”  It’s the ability to stay after whatever “it” is with unmatched ferocity, even when things look completely hopeless.  I wonder how many times we give up or give in just before we were about to achieve something totally over the top.

Looking back, I can see several times in my life when I was a hit or two away from achieving something remarkable.  But life intervened, and I hadn’t considered the snapping turtle yet.

You often hear coaches and sports analysts say that it always comes down to who WANTS the win the most.  Talent helps, but drive and determination bring in the win.  Pollyanna platitudes?  Not if you were watching that eleven inning World Series game!

And what if you give it everything and miss the ball?  Then at least you know you’ve given it your best and finished the play.  But if you step up to the plate discouraged and disengaged, then you’ve already lost.

Are there things in your own life that you’re giving up on just a few seconds too early?  And is it costing you everything?

And remember, no matter how many times things fall apart—think Wile E. Coyote, the poster child of Snapping Turtle Tenacity—there is always another plot to hatch.

Cardinals and Rangers:  Thank you for the motivation!  And you can bet I’ll be tuning in tonight to watch the most tenacious team win The World Series!  Batter up!

I’d love to hear your comments.  And let me know who your favorite team is for Game 7!

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com

Remembering Mom

Yesterday was my Mom’s birthday.  She’s been gone 17 years now, but she’s always with me.  You don’t get over someone like my mother.

I’m not sure how she managed raising three children mostly by herself, particularly since she had chronic asthma and a host of other health ailments.  But she was much larger than her asthma; she would try anything and do anything for her children.  In that respect, she was like all good mothers.

But my Mom was unique.  I remember when she showed up unexpectedly at Father/Daughter Brownie Day, knowing my Dad wouldn’t be there and I’d be devastated.

 I remember when she let me buy my first horse with babysitting money, though she had to pay the boarding bills every month on a super tight budget.

I remember her crying once when she was really sick, and saying she should have encouraged me to be a dancer.  (It’s ok, Mom, I really didn’t have the talent.)

I remember her waving wildly when I left home for California, off on my first big job adventure after college.  Years later I asked her how she managed not to cry, as I cried all the way to Texas before I ran out of tears.  She laughed and said she started bawling as soon as I turned the corner, and cried all weekend long.

I remember her paying my truck note while I was in grad school, even though looking back it was a much bigger struggle for her than I thought it was.

I remember her driving to Boulder to visit me and bringing all my worldly goods with her, so I’d be more comfortable while I was in school.

We had a special bond that was always laced with humor.  I’m telling a little story here, but please withhold your judgment until the end J.  I came to visit once and found my Mom’s house filled with flowers of every kind and description.  Vases of fresh cut flowers were everywhere.  Knowing she didn’t have a beau and that she didn’t have the money to buy them, I inquired about their origin.  Mom said that on her nightly walk with the dogs she had decided to cut them out of a neighbor’s garden.  I was horrified, and told her so.  She assured me that she had cut them very carefully, picking and choosing, and being so conscientious that the neighbor would never notice.  About the judgment caveat—it was around this time that we discovered she had significant brain damage from her breathing difficulties which left her wildly impulsive.

Previously, my Mom had been overly loving, but was always tightly wound—probably from the stress of being a single parent.  The type of brain damage she suffered made her much more direct, much more daring, and quite fun.  For example, once we saw a fire hydrant that had been knocked loose two miles from her house.  She asked for my help and we drug it home with a chain behind the station wagon and installed it in the back yard for the dogs. (And yes I know that was not terribly legal, but she was so delighted when she discovered the upended hydrant that I couldn’t deny her.)

My Mom appears often in my dreams and still offers advice.  Basically, she says I should have anything I want, do anything I want, and be anything I want.  (Told you she was dangerous!)  And she lets me know that she will always love me unconditionally.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.  Happy Birthday, Mom!  (And ya’ll watch out for your gardens, in case I decide to cut some flowers for the party!)

Please feel free to comment.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com



Fed Up with Sitting Down



Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com/Oterrick



Sitting all day makes me crazy—plain and simple.  (I can hear my husband chiming in:  CraziER.)  Don’t get me wrong, I love to write.  But so far it seems that writing requires too much sitting, even if I move away from the computer and break out pen and paper.  And writing a lot means sitting a lot, which, ironically, leaves me exhausted and cranky.

So you can imagine my delight (c’mon, you can) when I ran across (pardon the pun) this whole barrage of articles about working while walking on a treadmill.

I’m still trying to figure out if 1.2 miles per hour is a doable speed while drinking coffee and eating toast.  And what happens when the cats decide to jump on with me?  And what if I spill all this food and drink on the belt—will it tolerate a few sacrificial meals?  (Or maybe I’ll eat less anyway since I won’t be so frustrated from having to sit?)

TrekDesk as featured on Amazon.com

But I’m still really liking this idea.  It’s healthier AND more productive—hard to beat that combo.  I need to save up a bit and figure out how to alter my existing work space to fit the treadmill.  And the multi-tasking part may be a challenge for my clutzy side.  But I know I can do this.  I wonder how many motors I’ll burn up?

Even if you’re not a writer, most traditional jobs require long periods of sitting still.  Most of the science says that there are better ways to be productive.  And it’s not that hard to set up a treadmill desk.  If you have a quiet treadmill and some creativity, you may even manage a homemade inexpensive version.

Anyone else going to think about giving this a whirl? Any of you jet-setters doing it already?  I’d love to hear about whether it works for you.  Till then, I’ll just have to sit tight.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com

It's a Jungle in Here

Plants, plants everywhere

Leaves in my crazy hair

Grasshoppers running ‘round

No blank square footage to be found.

That about sums it up, but I still don’t understand why it makes my husband so nutso.  I mean, I’d love to have a greenhouse, but I don’t yet.  If you read last week’s piece on Transitioning, you know how the end of the growing season affects me.

So what if every year about this time I decide that I can’t let my plants die, and I bring them in for over-wintering?  What is all this vertical space for if not for hanging plants?

Elvis had a Jungle Room, and it’s everyone’s favorite.  Why can’t I?  I know when we brought all these ferns home that I said I’d let them go at the end of the season, but I just can’t be held to that promise when they’re all green and bushy and have names.

Once we get the ferns hung, we’ll be able to soak in the corner tub again.  And think about how plants improve air quality.  We need plenty of that due to all the animals in the house. (And that’s the stuff for another blog piece…)

I can multi-task by talking to my plants while I’m on the treadmill.  So what if I have to move them to turn the treadmill AND the music on?

And ducking under the banana plants to get into your office is good stretching, I tell him.

I will admit that some of the containers are rather heavy, and that bringing them in is no picnic.  But they give me an instant start to my garden next year, and it makes my husband so happy when we move them back outside!

Once he became a Master Gardener I thought this aversion to plants in the house would go away, but he remains stalwart.  It was easier when we had a larger domain.  I’ll grant you that.

But once all the green comes inside I feel so much better.  And it’s all about me, right? And of course I’m saving the planet, one plant at a time.

Do you have trouble like this with your spouse or significant other?  I’d love to commiserate, just as soon as I catch some of these grasshoppers and release them into the wild...

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time
http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com