Patience....??

The wait for the diagnostic test continues. I've always been terrible at waiting. "Can we play through?" is a favorite phrase on the golf course. Even when I was taking ski lessons in college I thought waiting in the lift line was a waste. Probably one of the reasons that sport never hit home and held. I figured that warming up on a run meant it was time to get back on the lift and try another....but others thought it best to stand in line and socialize awhile before returning to the mountain-top. This waiting for an important test, unfortunately, can't be rushed.

I'm learning that the best approach and mental attitude was offered by my fly-casting instructor. Ron Lauzon was terrific, we had our "on the water" class this past weekend. (http://theflyfishinginstructor.com/ ) Oregon weather cooperated. It was sunny, about 60 degrees, and there was very little wind--just enough to show us how wind affected our casts. With the few members in the class, the day evolved into a series of twenty-minute private lessons. Ron could watch us, compliment our technique, and then "lay his hands" to our rod. It was almost magical, the way that he'd easily improve our technique, just by setting his wrist alongside ours, and helping us mimic his movements. No more casting to the swing set in the playground, or avoiding the rims in the gym. This was a REAL river, known for its steelhead runs...but we were only casting bits of yarn lacking hooks.

Two important lessons. First, take the time to watch the river and try to match its patience. There is nothing to rush. Neither the line in the air, nor the fly on the water, can move any faster than the river's pace. Enjoy the scenery...and pay attention to lesson number two. The important part of the cast is NOT to watch the fly land...far better to watch the extension of the line and the end of the cast...and then to watch the fly perch upon the surface. If you look down, to the landing zone, you haven't achieved full extensions. (Don't I now sound like an expert? What I am is a really good parrot, mimicking what we learned. "AWwwwk, cracker?")

The waiting continues. The weather gets better. I'll see some Prop Pops for St. Patrick's Day, something like our fifth or sixth together. I'm not sure we'll catch the state Dance Tournament at night, but that's where this began. I fly to Coeur d'Alene for work on Friday. The weekend is supposed to be nice, perhaps with some lazy casts that actually have HOOKS on the end. Monday will come the test, Wednesday will provide the results. In the meantime, friends think I've gone overboard on this casting thing...and that it will wear off eventually. It may, just in time for me to actually hook a steelhead, fight him awhile, and then know that the next time will be the best time.

For those of you who have to help me wait, you have my sincere thanks. Poor Judy thinks I'm distracted and not very much fun to be around...but she's patient and so incredibly helpful, even when she isn't feeling well. At work, Kelly has decided to take ten days off, I'm insufferable with things that we need to get done. We'll get through all this, make decisions, and move on. But for now, I'm standing in a crappy lift line, wondering why everyone else is so happy.

Priceless!!

This past week or so marked an important pair of milestones in the educational mission of the Chambers family. We are all so pleased, for many different reasons, as the planets aligned to give us good news. The best way to describe the week isn’t terribly original, but fits VERY well….and I'll leave off the dollar amounts.

Watching a firstborn son graduate from Colorado College ….special!

Watching the older daughter graduate from Valparaiso University …delightful!

Paying off the second daughter’s tuition to Valparaiso , and anticipating her graduation in May…Marvelous!

Learning that the older daughter has been accepted to the UMaryland PhD program…priceless!
http://www.lizdepriest.blogspot.com/

This entire process has been a team effort. The kids knew they’d need to work hard in high school, and continue working at the educational process into their college years—because they’d need financial aid to help make the numbers play out. Each of them absorbed loans, and chose to work when they thought it possible—particularly Vickie—so that they could cover much of the cost themselves. Their parents helped as best they could, probably whining more than they deserved given the hard work the kids put forth to reduce the total costs.

What I hope, as a parent, is that the money toward tuition was well spent. More importantly, what I hope we all paid for was increased wisdom, experiences they’ll never forget, and the opportunity to grow and mature away from home. That’s what college was like for me, and what we all hope for it does for our kids. Anyone can walk toward the college president for one’s diploma, it takes a lot of hard work to really learn from the experience, walking away with a huge smile on one’s face.

Congratulations, to each of you. Not only do you continue to challenge us all to live in a better world, you demonstrate by your commitment to lifelong learning that the journey doesn’t stop.

Wedging your Fly?

Almost sounds like a third-grade recess tease, doesn't it?

I'm taking a fly-casting class. Of course it is like hitting wedges, because learning takes more than a weekend. It also requires a level of basic skill before moving toward advanced methodology. These lessons can't be rushed. In the same manner than women of the LPGA can slip a wedge within five feet, we learn that strength and competitive spirit have little to do with succeeding, when the best flycaster in the country is about five foot two, and might weigh 110 pounds with every tackle box she owns pinned to her vest.

Success also requires a really short checklist. "Slow...faster....QUICK...." Why does the instructor demonstrate with such ease, and yet my fly seems to snap off before it lands? Can the old golf mantras actually be true? Learning to swing easy is the best way to hit it hard? Slowing down the fly cast is actually the best way to pinpoint your delivery?

And why are we avoiding any discussion of medical diagnostics? Because we're not only standing on the riverbank, we're also trying to get out and hit balls at the range. Nothing is going on that we can rush, for the important medical appointments happen in two weeks. Then, we'll all know much more than we do now. In the meantime, at least I've learned how to tie double surgeon knots and land a delicate piece of yarn under the school's swingset. If the trout ever get tired of the river and decide to take up residence at the playground, I'll be ready for them.

History Repeats Itself??!!

Judy's family is kind enough to share their lives with me. Nearly every day seems to bring something new, whether "grandparents' Valentine's lunch" with Caleb, or watching them pester Grandma about adding games to her iPhone. A Wii game. Then again, there is 4th grade basketball.

Think back to Mark coaching Nate's teams in Pleasanton. "Follow Coach Wooden," he thinks, "the best way to learn defense is to play man-on-man, heads up, fannies down...move your feet." "You're building the next generation for future high school coaches." Then, the opposing coach has apparently watched someone else growing up, and decides to throw a 2-3 zone into the mix. "I thought Coach only liked zone plays on the full-court press, what's UP with this?"

"Gee," says Mark. "Even a lazy guy can teach zone concepts, and attacking a zone at this age isn't that tough." But to teach the kids to attack a zone at practice, one is required to teach them how to PLAY a zone on defense. Damned if you do, damned (sometimes by the parents) if you don't. Unfortunately, you are scheduled against the coach who's had his kids for two years. They are now fifth graders, mixing in a few fourth-graders. They "get" zone defense. You, unfortunately, mostly have fourth-graders who will be terrific with another year under their belts, but right now they aren't long enough, quick enough, nor do they anticipate where the pass will be made when the point guard panics at the elbow under pressure from two defenders. UUUUgh! Throw in the fact that some of the opposition may be younger brothers, accustomed to bullying from the opposition, and it can make a long day for the Purple Shirts.

Watching Eric, I see the same frustrations. Point guards fire it up from everywhere, hoping it will hit something and maybe a rebound will turn into an entry pass. Where have we seen that before, Nate? Bigger kids know that rebounding is important, but somehow translate the shouts from the parents to "get under the basket" too literally, standing directly under the ring while watching rebounds carom over their heads. Coaches sit back, knowing that the kids will get better with age, but frustrated that they are getting spanked when it isn't really the kids' fault. All it would take is a night or two of the two-three zone, they'd be setting picks down low, dropping shots from the baseline, frustrating the zone defense with passes whipped around the perimeter. Never over-dribbling, especially into the middle of the key to be surrounded by the opposition.

It will come. In the meantime, history repeats itself, across the country, in gym after gym. Learn something to win today, avoid something that will make them a better player in the long run. If life only stopped at fourth grade.

Thankfully, it continues on. The losses of today mean that the scrawniest kids will probably make teams they shouldn't, because they've dug deep and put their noses into a defense that never rests. Just wait 'til those guys are in seventh grade two years from now, and ours are in sixth. THEN we'll see who gets up and down the floor with grace and success!

Probably a good lesson for more than basketball, if we really think about it. We don't have to worry quite so much about the results this weekend, maybe the investment in future growth is the important step.

Next up?? Why is fly-casting like hitting wedges?