Practice, practice, practice

As I was watching the Olympics coverage these past few days I was reminded of the old joke, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice, practice, practice!” 

When was the last time you had to practice?  I have a couple of friends who are actors and they spend a lot of time in rehearsals.  My godson, who came over on Saturday after track practice to help me with a couple of things, told me that he finally mastered how to back into their garage.  At work I hear from parents whose toddlers are just learning to walk and talk, from one mother whose infant is skilled at blowing bubbles, and another whose children are trying different careers.  But once we get to a certain age, practicing isn’t so much a part of our lives anymore.  Unless we’re intentional about it or forced into it.

As a pianist I was much more interested in the expression and interpretation of the music than the notes themselves.  At that time I wasn’t drawn as much to the precision of Bach as I was to the romanticism of Debussy.  I wasn’t good at putting time in doing my scales or, for those of you who would recognize the name, Czerny.  I could do them, got through them, but rushed through that part of practice to get to the good stuff.

The older I get the more I realize how important it is to be a lifelong learner.  I also know that while, practice may make perfect, perfect is not necessarily what I’m aiming for, and with that in mind, the practice of a new discipline can be fun.  That’s one reason I keep taking different kinds of art classes.  Practicing various mediums gives me new experiences and often insight into who I am.  I recently realized that creating watercolor paintings is not for me.  I don’t have the patience to wait for the wash to dry but I enjoyed seeing how it is done.

I admire those whose health issues such as a stroke or broken hip means that they must practice doing things that for decades came easily.  I think of warriors around the globe who first practice survival skills but go home wounded and must relearn and practice what those toddlers are mastering. 

Dancer and choreographer Martha Graham wrote, “We learn by practice. Whether it means we learn to dance by practicing dancing or learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same.”  Snowboarding may not be in your future, but how about expanding your practice of living by testing the waters of a new cuisine, a different genre of reading materials, or a strange machine at the health club?  Or try sharing your experience in a new volunteer opportunity, showing others how to practice what you’re good at.  Go out there this week and be a practitioner of life!

Marilyn