Monday’s Pen to Paper: Quiet
When I was six months pregnant with my son, I drove 2000 miles to southern California and back in my 1989 Volkswagon Vanagon with my two year-old daughter and my boxer dog in tow. I did this all with no stereo, no phone, and no electronics and I loved every minute of it.
Recently I read the book Quiet by Susan Cain. The book hit home for me. Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, reminded me that I’m just fine the way I am. Introverted. Of course I know that I’m okay, but in a world full of extroverts, a world that praises extroverted qualities and living with two extroverts (now that my daughter and fellow introvert is away at college), life can be trying and often I feel awkward and guilty about wanting to be lone.
To those who meet me on the street I may not seem like an introvert. But I am. Being introverted does not necessarily mean you live in a hovel warded off from the world, it means that you recharge by being alone. When I was young I never really thought about being extroverted or introverted, I was shy but enjoyed my friends and my teammates. I was active and social but over a majority of my life I lived alone or occasionally with one roommate who was in and out of the apartment, so I always had time to myself. It was not until I got married, got dogs, had kids and then had my husband start working out of the home that my need for alone time increased and the anxious feeling in my gut started following me around.
I first discovered I was an introvert when my […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: Home Sweet Poem
My daughter was home for spring break and we made a point to write together. She is a Creative Writing major in college so there is nothing sweeter than sitting down at my computer and looking across from me to see her poised at her Mac ready to write. We usually start with some prompts (she has a page on Pinterest gathered specifically for this purpose), and then move on to our blogs or other writing that we’re working on.
On one of our prompts we decided to write a poem. She wrote a poem recently for her college class that really moved me. It’s a poem directly addressing America as a person. I find her work so powerful, but poetry scares me. The last time I learned anything about poetry was during my grade school English class, I’m 50 now, it’s been a few years.
Oh, and I love Dr. Suess, if that counts.
Still the other day, with my daughter close by, I dove in, as one must with writing, fighting against my inner critique, and gave poetry my best shot. Our prompt was to write a poem about the texture of hope. This is what I came up with in our self allotted five minutes.
The texture of hope
Fine. Slender. Forgotten.
Tendrils from a descending spider.
Fat. Round. Open.
The heart of a lion.
Poison and passion and periwinkle
The color of dreams.
Woven through time.
Now there it is, in print for the world to see and hear, and for me to cringe a little before reminding myself that this is why I’m here. To live, to write and follow the color of my dreams, and part of that means practice. Find time to practice your writing. And don’t be afraid to try new things, perhaps […]
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Hope for Better Ball Handling
Some people just have a natural feel for the ball but even if you start out with great ball handling skills there is always room for improvement. And if you are a player like me, a player who has never been terribly comfortable handling the ball, there is still hope. It’s called hard work.
If you put in the time, you will improve. I spent most of my career putting extra time on the court, and though to this day I’m still not very graceful with the ball, I can get the job done. When I was in college, I could help get the ball up the court against a press if I had to, and I actually loved running a fast break. And that’s only because I worked at it.
I’m still not crazy about bringing the ball up the court. I spent my life as a small forward, but I do know that on the court, as in life sometimes, you need to do things that you are not thrilled about and if that’s dribbling the ball, then you need to spend more time with a ball in your hands. There is always something you can do to become a better player, or to get better at whatever it is you strive to do.
Find links to ball handling skill work below and remember you can take a basketball almost anywhere. Get an outdoor ball and dribble as you walk to school, dribble on the sidewalk in front of your house, dribble in your driveway. You don’t need a hoop just a ball and the desire to improve your game.
50 Basketball Dribbling Drills
PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Dancing at the Tournament
It’s tournament time! Both the boy’s and girl’s team at West Seattle, where I used to coach, are headed that way. I can’t wait to cheer them on. When I was coaching, playoffs, League, Districts and the State Tournament meant a different kind of fun, a hunker in and take a closer look at our team type of fun. What makes us successful? How do we build on that and make our base stronger? Of course, I studied our opponents but in the end I focused on our team, our fundamentals and our strengths. As my father-in-law (Hall of Fame Coach) used to say when it was time for State, “Dance with the girl who brung ya’.” (Read more)
Go West Seattle Wildcats!
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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LIFE INSPIRED FITNESS: Push Yourself
I like to run, sort of. I don’t like running long distance (too many miles on my body that I’d rather use pounding the hardwoods), but I do like shorter distances, less than three miles. When I do a running workout, I usually just jog/run to a spot, pick a couple of trees or telephone poles that are maybe 50-80 meters apart and then do a little sprint workout.
Well, I’m using the word sprint very loosely here because my emphasis is on not pulling a muscle, so what I do is more like a fast jog, but that, to me, is better than ten miles at a slow jog. Which is not to say ten miles is bad, it’s just not what I like. Find what you like, and then even push yourself a little.
Last year, I decided to run in a track meet, as a “fun” way to stay […]
LIFE INSPIRED FITNESS: Dog Gone Good Exercise
I like to walk, which is good, because I have a dog and he needs to go on walks. Walking your dog is a great way to get some exercise and keep your body fit. I walk at a pretty good clip, but just getting out there and moving your body does the trick to burn some calories, not to mention getting you some fresh air.
For me it’s also a good time to think. Whether I’m deciding what groceries to buy or coming up with a new blog idea, walking clears my mind. And just think of how good it is for Fido. So get out there and take your dog for a walk, it’s a win-win.
What do you like best about walking with your dog? Or maybe you walk a different pet. I’d love to hear about it.
Follow me for more ideas on living a happy and healthy life […]
PEN TO PAPER: Discover Your Story
This last weekend I drew inspiration from my daughter. Not only did she graduate with a degree in Creative Writing, she used what she’s learned in her major to inspire her classmates in her valedictorian commencement speech.
She related the life of a college graduate, one who is stepping into a new and unknown world, to that of a writer staring at a blank page.
“The sprawling expanse of possibility lies before us, both tantalizing and terrifying all at once. Yet, I’ve found that the cure to writer’s block is to just start writing. The time has come to start crafting our own stories.”
So true. Life can be scary, whether you’re a writer plugging away at a difficult piece, a new graduate starting a career, a new mother discovering what it’s like to care for an infant or an old mother figuring out what life has in store […]
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