Yesterday I was privy to one of the greatest non-combat snap-out-it speeches ever.

I wish I had it written down verbatim, but the gist, expletives deleted, was still pretty good–

Snap the effe out of it. You have not been shot! I have seen men shot in war. And you have not been shot. This is not a war. These people are trying to help you.

So shut the effe up and man the effe up.

I need this speech myself sometimes. We all do, I suppose.

Take tennis…

I found myself gazing at a tennis ball one night (on a tennis court), thinking–I should play more tennis.

I should. I would have to practice a lot just to get back to decent, but I should.

It takes a lot, a lot of hours to be good at something. Then when you are good at it, people think it comes naturally to you.

Perhaps to you.

But not to me. I am a clumsy middle aged woman. I gotta practice.

A lot.

What you practice a lot matters.