The road to improvement is usually a long one. Yes, it can be daunting, but that’s why it’s worthwhile. If it was easy anybody could do it. I’m impressed by people who continue to learn things as they get older: sailing, watercolors, fly fishing (of course), but also baking, a second language, even pilates.
I thought of this the other day while I was running ragged during a squash lesson. This lesson was a thoughtful gift from Emilie. A quick aside: a lesson (or a trip with a fishing guide) is such a great gift—it’s something you care about, a little indulgent, but shows you what’s available out there.
I arrived at Open Squash, on the fifth floor of a handsome building near Bryant Park. It’s a place of true believers, full of enthusiastic players across generations, an impressively international crowd. Everybody there shared two things in common: One, a love of squash. And two: they were all better than I am.
I adore squash, but passion is not the same as excellence. I would assess my game as aggressively adequate. Do you have a kitchen knife that’s never been sharpened? It looks like the other knives and can do basic jobs. Then you use a good knife and think, Oh there’s a whole other level of this. Well the first knife is like my squash game. It could use a little sharpening.
