The 2K11 24/7 XL: Life and Dodgeball
Ugh. Sometimes the choices we need to make in life bother me. I missed out on the Network Roulette that went down last night because I was simply too tired and didn't have an environment around where I could really go out and participate. Excuses, I know. You don't have to tell me. But just seeing all the comments from the event, it looks like people REALLY got a lot out of it. I'm going to schedule my time better so I have more energy to hit these kinds of things up.
In order to cheer myself up, I scanned some loose papers in and really sorted out my Gmail. I don't know why people don't take more advantage of what Gmail can offer — for someone who's OCD about organization like I am, it's a Godsend. Between setting filters for certain emails so that my BlackBerry's not going off every two seconds and being able to take a look at what's been cluttering up my Inbox, it's been a helpful exercise. (Went from 700+ emails in my Inbox to 388. Pretty good progress so far!) Still doesn't make up for missing the event, but it's something. Maybe I'll even show you something I sketched up recently at the end if you behave yourselves :D
Right. So how do we start this entry?
Sarah, mi amor, suggested an entry where I make an analogy between dodgeball and life. Sure — I could do that, but I think I'll take it a step further, and call it:
LIFE AND DODGEBALL — HOW DODGEBALL CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON.
Ooh, that felt good — I think I got a few shivers. So to my readers both risk-averse and downright crazy, this post is dedicated to you!
1: DASH FOR THAT BALL
The game of dodgeball, the way we play it, starts with your team of six lined up against the wall, facing your opponents who're doing the same. All that stands between the two teams is a dodgeball court and four balls on the ground, two on either side of the line dividing the court in two. When one team calls out "3, 2, 1, DODGEBALL!", both team rush to the centre to get first possession and the advantage of possibly taking some opponents out early. This is me. I am the guy who'll dart to the centre to take care of business. This is a lot like I am in real life — while you're too busy thinking about what you'd like to do, what should be done and all that, I've already done something. It might not be the right or best thing to do in a situation. It might have disastrous consequences. But you know what? At least I tried and failed, rather than never having tried at all. I don't want to be sitting around later thinking on what could have been if only I'd tried.
So in life, when that starting whistle's blown and you see that ball in front of you, DASH FOR THAT BALL. You never know what the result of your actions will be until you actually take them!
2: KEEP IT LIMBER
The entire point of dodgeball is to dodge the ball and win. Unexpected, right?! Pretty straightforward goal, really, if you think about it, but whoever was insane enough to come up with this game added a few variables just to mix it up a little:
- You never REALLY know what direction the ball will be coming from
- There could be four balls coming at you all at once
- If you catch the ball, but drop it, you're out
- Even if you manage to catch the ball, if another ball hits you, you're out
Really, there's a lot that could work against you to make sure that you don't succeed. So you need to be flexible at all times in order to adjust to whatever situation is being thrown at you. Impossible deadlines, projects being scrapped, internal conflicts — I've seen it all. But it all depends on how you choose to handle the situation that'll make all the difference. KEEP IT LIMBER and you'll be able to reflexively respond to all the inconvenient situations in life with a flourish, hopefully ready to pick a ball up and get into action immediately rather than have to wait a round or two to get back in the game!
3: PERFECT YOUR THROW
And may thy aim be true! But seriously — getting a good shot in dodgeball is as rare as gold if you'e not throwing the ball right. I've had balls curve around and hit me in the side, ones that seem to be going right for my head change direction and get me in the gut at the last moment; I'm telling you, do not take dodgeball lightly. Dudes are out there to kill! And some women too! There's some I know that make my testosterone run COLD.
But in dodgeball, your throw needs to be:
- Kept low, so the opponents can't catch it;
- Powerful enough to hit your opponents when they scurry back to the opposite wall; and
- If you can throw in a trick or two to keep them off-guard, kudos to you!
We're constantly throwing balls in life. (*pause*) Whether it's an elevator pitch of an idea, a resume for a new job or trying to win a debate with friends — we're always launching things out there hoping that it'll score a point, so to speak. But you've got to practice and make sure that your throws are killer; you don't want a ball that can be easily caught. You don't want one that'll miss the mark — these are all wastes of your time and energy. Make sure that you PERFECT YOUR THROW, so that you can get what you're hoping for! Without making sure that you have a good throw to put out there, you're more or less signing your own notice to get out of the game.
4: KNOW WHEN TO CATCH AND DON'T LET GO!
Even against the strongest throwers out there, if you catch their throw, they're as good as out! But when that ball's coming at you with a dangerous velocity — can you do it? There have been many times where I've been over-confident, tried to catch a ball intent on taking my life, only to have it bounce out of my grip at the last moment, ejecting me from the court.
Life's a lot like this — you'll have many times where you get over-confident; you think you've got a good hold of a situation, and then all of a sudden it goes spiralling out of control and you're left with no solution but conceding to defeat. Here's a hint (and I should really heed my own advice on this one): YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE EVERYTHING ON!!! If you've got a lot going on, maybe it's time to offload something to someone else. Maybe you need to take a break. Just sit back, relax and reflect. You need to KNOW WHEN TO CATCH and when you get a grasp of whatever it is you're trying to hold onto, DON'T LET GO!!! You may have to work harder. You may need to do you research to make sure you're going about it the right way. But when you see something coming and you KNOW you've got it — GET IT. Just make sure you've got the skills to do so!
5: AVOID THE HEAD SHOTS
If you're lucky, in a game of dodgeball, a headshot will be considered a "wash", and play will continue. In the worst case scenario, the headshot will be seen as dirty playing, and you're off the court! A headshot would be the times where:
- You think you know where you're throwing, but that person's big ol' head came up out of nowhere and got in the way of your ball;
- You're a real ass and you generally throw at people's head because it happens to line up with your "release point" (though you're still throwing at 50 mph or something, you douche); or
- You just can't throw. I know. I've been there. In fact, I still am. I can't aim for beans.
Watch your words. Don't throw the shots at your peers, friends, fa… hell, ANYONE that will get you out of a game sooner than later. Don't act like a jerk, and karma will take care of the rest. So, AVOID THE HEAD SHOTS, I'm pretty sure they won't do you much good.
6: WATCH THE LINE
That middle line in dodgeball can be deadly. We often play soft line in dodgeball, i.e. you can step over the line accidentally, as long as less than half your foot goes over the line. HARD line, on the other hand, means you're out if your foot even TOUCHES the line. You can have the best strategy, an awesome throw and be a dodging champ, but you cross that line, and you just did the other team a favour by doing the work FOR them.
So don't pull any moves that'll result in the suicide of one's career, lifestyle, etc. You can do better than that. Line yourself up, but watch your surroundings. Don't get overconfident. Know what you're getting into and WATCH THE LINE so that you never end up overstepping your bounds. That's how to make sure that your plan is airtight!
7: TAKE WINS AND LOSSES WITH STRIDE
I know that some of my ultra-competitive friends won't necessarily agree with this one, but it's best to keep your composure after a game. During the game, you're caught up in the heat of the moment, trying to get that amazing thrower on the other team out while trying not to get hit yourself; it's a rush! You'll often see me on the sidelines dancing to the music or doing a running commentary of the madness going down on the court. I've added an audio file of some of the pwnage that you'd be lucky enough to hear from me if you were at any of my games for reference:
(download)
Anyway, after the game, be civil and TAKE WINS AND LOSSES WITH STRIDE. This applies to life, too. Got something right and your coworker didn't? Don't gloat in their freakin' face. Just know you did it right and move on with life. Crappy day? Don't let it drag you down — you've got a lot to live for and be happy about; just focus on that! Just as it's just a game, oftentimes, each day is just another day. Don't let it drive you nuts!
I'm wondering if these posts are just too long? Hm. It does take a while to write them. But my brain's just overflowing with all this stuff. Are these posts too long? Let a brotha know!
As promised, a glimpse of what I sketched while taking care of some phone calls today. I can just hear the ooh's and aah's out there, so thank you very much :)
And that's it! I'm done! Have an awesome day, guys :) I'd say that tomorrow's post won't be so crazy, but I can make no such promise!
Peace,
—case p.
40/365
