Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Practice?!


PRACTICE.

The word has been coming into my life quite a bit in recent days. Every where I turn it's been in my face. Sports stories, articles, bits of conversation, signs, practice leaps out at me. In the past practice was something I wasn't very good at. Playing sports as a handsome young lad, practice was more about making the guys laugh than learning. Later in life I never really practiced anything. I still don't.

Last night I traveled out of my overheated lair to a flick, "Enlighten Up", and practice was everywhere. It's the filmmakers journey to see if yoga practice can change someones life, enlighten them. An avid yoga practitioner herself, she picks this likable non-spiritual guy to begin yoga practice. Never mind his mother is a Shamanic healer, he's non-spiritual. The pull of his mothers' influence and his attorney fathers' is a nice line through the film.

Midway through or so, the two are in India traveling from yogi to yogi, seeking out answers. And there it was, caught on tape. A sign "Believe". And not just any sign, but a Red Sox sign. And you know I love a good sign from The Universe. The filmmaker is from Boston, she saw the signs, went for it, got her movie into a theater and me into a seat. Not too fucking shabby.

I've taken a few things from that sign. One I want to go to a yoga class, wanted to go for awhile, but haven't gotten myself there. And two, yes, practice. Not necessarily yoga, not likely, yet I'll report back after I do attend a class. The film brings up the idea of practice as way of getting closer to god. I'd never really thought about practice that way.

I suppose I do practice a few things, well at least try to practice a few things. Meditation, prayer, checkmarks, being kind to others ~ I'm reaching here, I didn't say I practiced a lot of things, very well. And I do believe those are ways of connecting to god.

So instead of the ability to knot myself ~ Which I'm okay with not having on my resume. Dating women with that ability on their resume, another story. ~ Why don't I put practice into other things in my life? Things that give me joy; That let me live in abundance; That get me closer to God.

Because it can be a fucking pain in the ass, that's why! And sometimes I just want to fuck off. Get lost in the fog of LA. Whine about my cards. Be hopeless, stuck, lazy, spoiled, shy....blah, blah, blah..... Thankfully those days are fewer and fewer. They were exactly what I needed to get right here. Now I need to bring practice into my life. No brainer on where I'm starting my practice. I've already started it. Now it's time for some serious stretching practice. Sweat puddle, ass crack showing, palms to the floor practicing.

I am a practicing writer! Everything is practice. Just writing it is freeing. This ain't no final curtain call, it's practice. Maybe Allan Iverson was on to something. In the past I'd been a non-practicing writer, a dabbler more than a practitioner. I am ready to learn, ready to fall splat, ready face some fears, some demons and become a practice-er. A committed practioner.

There's a few other things I want to start practicing. One commitment at a time.

3 comments:

  1. Listened to a kids author/illustrator speak one time - his big speech was "Practice makes Better!" not "practice makes perfect". Perfection is not our job - working towards whatever it is that we want and getting better at it each time we work on it- that is our work! I am enjoying your writings.

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  2. Thanks Sis! And I am loving your posts. Very wise.

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  3. Thanks for this post, B. There's some pretty big things I need to start practicing myself and this is a handy compassionate reminder.

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