IN LIFE AS IN BASKETBALL

  In Life      In Basketball

I was looking at some of my college stuff recently and started thinking about friends and roommates during that time, some of whom have already passed away.

There were two cute girls from California in my dorm who lived upstairs from me.  Elaine was blond, Meagan was brunette.  They were inseparable and so fun to be around.  They laughed, they giggled, they were friendly with everyone, and were the "life of the party" whether it was a large group or just a small gaggle of girls.  

One day soon after the school year began, they took one look at my long eye lashes and proceeded to take me in hand to teach me how to use eye makeup-- more than just a brush of mascara I managed while getting ready for the day.  They introduced me to the hippie look that emphasized more color play on the eyes, those soft colors which focused on adding depth coupled with winged eyeliner, along with loads of mascara and blush.  Took the country girl out of me for sure!  And what a difference it made in my looks and my self-esteem.  Who knew?

Meagan was dating a young man who played basketball for UCLA.  This was in the mid 60s when the Bruins were winning championships all over the place.   Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul Jabbar) was one of his teammates, and the storied John Wooden was their coach.  Meagan used to tell us all about the team, plus the motivational highlights her boyfriend said the coach would give the team when they practiced.  So many practical directions that were as helpful on the basketball court as in everyday life.

There was one good piece of tactical advice which Coach Wooden emphasized over and over with the team, which I still think of when I get stumped about how I should take care of some sort of task I'm not sure just exactly how to tackle.  It's elementary, really.  But I have used these wise words over the years, and the injunction works every time.  And I'm not talking about when I play basketball--HAHAHA!

 

Don't let what you DON'T know get in the way of what you DO know."

I've found that if I approach a problem in that way, I often get ideas that help me complete the part I'm not really sure how to manage.  Simple words.  Profound message.

Thanks, Coach Wooden....