It's amazing how well you can play with very little english and I, personally don't adjust for spin, just the point of the pocket I'm connected to, unless I'm hitting the ball super firm or with extreme, almost masse' type english.....you see the game is perfect at some level and to help explain why I believe this, allow me share a real life story with you, a story that instilled 'The Game is the Teacher' in my heart or hearts. This was a week before my first Pro Tournament in Toronto Canada where I had wins against four of the top players in the World. This is the story.....
I was hanging out at my pool room "CJ's" behind the bar of all places....I really didn't spend a lot of time back there, but this day was the exception. An older man came in, sat down and ordered a soda...I knew how to "mix" that one so I got it for him and set it down.
The man said "you are the professional pool player CJ aren't you?"....I replied "yes, that's me, unless I owe you money - LoL"....he laughed, took a drink and said, "no, you don't owe me money, but I would like to ask you a question that may result in some."
I suddenly felt him get serous and wondered what this older man was up to -
"sure, you can ask me whatever you want" I said, leaning against the cooler.....the man pointed at the pool table and ask "what are you trying to achieve playing that Game?"....
I hesitated, thought and replied "I'm trying to be the best player I can be, maybe even the best in the world, at least for a time-being".
The man place his napkin between us, looked into my eyes and said firmly -
"you know this Game you play is already perfect....it's up to you to uncover it" and immediately turned over the napkin and looked under it.....
"Do You Understand" he said firmly again "The Game is already perfect, it's just up to you to uncover that Perfection", again he lifted up the napkin, looked under it and then quickly back into my now de-focused stare.
His eyes by now felt like they were probing my very soul and I shifted a bit, suddenly feeling more clear, answered "I think I understand.....it's not me that has to be perfect, it's the game, so I don't need to try to be perfect, I just need to Uncover the Perfection that's already been placed there...in the Game.....by...uhhhh".
He smiled at my hesitation and finished "by the Breath of the Universe or The Breath of a Higher Power, right now that's not as important as you having Faith that it's true!
He then told me to hold on for a minute and went to his car and brought back a book called 'A Parenthesis in Eternity', that I read and still have to this day.....this was one of those occasions that influenced me so much I find myself wondering if this old man was really an old man.....or.....angel....no, that would be silly now wouldn't it?.....hmmm, I still can't help but wonder...?"
'The Game is the Teacher'
I was hanging out at my pool room "CJ's" behind the bar of all places....I really didn't spend a lot of time back there, but this day was the exception. An older man came in, sat down and ordered a soda...I knew how to "mix" that one so I got it for him and set it down.
The man said "you are the professional pool player CJ aren't you?"....I replied "yes, that's me, unless I owe you money - LoL"....he laughed, took a drink and said, "no, you don't owe me money, but I would like to ask you a question that may result in some."
I suddenly felt him get serous and wondered what this older man was up to -
"sure, you can ask me whatever you want" I said, leaning against the cooler.....the man pointed at the pool table and ask "what are you trying to achieve playing that Game?"....
I hesitated, thought and replied "I'm trying to be the best player I can be, maybe even the best in the world, at least for a time-being".
The man place his napkin between us, looked into my eyes and said firmly -
"you know this Game you play is already perfect....it's up to you to uncover it" and immediately turned over the napkin and looked under it.....
"Do You Understand" he said firmly again "The Game is already perfect, it's just up to you to uncover that Perfection", again he lifted up the napkin, looked under it and then quickly back into my now de-focused stare.
His eyes by now felt like they were probing my very soul and I shifted a bit, suddenly feeling more clear, answered "I think I understand.....it's not me that has to be perfect, it's the game, so I don't need to try to be perfect, I just need to Uncover the Perfection that's already been placed there...in the Game.....by...uhhhh".
He smiled at my hesitation and finished "by the Breath of the Universe or The Breath of a Higher Power, right now that's not as important as you having Faith that it's true!
He then told me to hold on for a minute and went to his car and brought back a book called 'A Parenthesis in Eternity', that I read and still have to this day.....this was one of those occasions that influenced me so much I find myself wondering if this old man was really an old man.....or.....angel....no, that would be silly now wouldn't it?.....hmmm, I still can't help but wonder...?"
'The Game is the Teacher'