Wine Appreciation

The coach of a recent seminar I attended posed the question, “Do you know what the difference is between someone who drinks wine and someone who appreciates it?”  The question lingered as our academy group wondered at his question.  Our coach went on to explain that someone who drinks wine does just that – they drink it.  Someone who appreciates wine, on the other hand, can tell you much more.

Those who appreciate wine are familiar with nuance.  They may be able to identify the year, the wood in which it was fermented and the vinter.  They may describe the various flavors and aromas that fill the glass as they swirl the wine in their mouth.  Wine lovers talk about ‘legs’, which describes the viscosity of the wine as it drips down the sides of their glass.

Living in Abundance: Time

A couple of years ago, my wife and I held annual passes to Disney’s theme parks.  They worked great for an adventurous date night.  After a meal, we would head over to the parks to walk around, talk and get on a ride or two.  There was no pressure to see everything in one day!  Or frustration about waiting in a long line.  We simply enjoyed each other’s company.

Sometimes, I wish life were that easy.  Frequently, I find myself rushing to ‘the next thing’.  Tired of waiting in lines, and generally scattered in a crowd.  Seems like I never accomplish ALL the tasks on my to-do list.  Strange how I can hold myself in contempt for not doing all the things that I think I should do – like have an empty email box, make progress on my writing, marketing my business, etc.  Does the list ever end?

Marathon Momento – Without Regret

It’s been almost a month since I ran my first marathon in Chicago.  My knees reminded me this morning as they ached in a chilly New Hampshire morning.  I remember vividly being at mile 20 in Chicago.  I had the distinct impulse to kick out my legs, pushing myself in the moment farther than I thought I could go.  The notion was in between an aspiration and a haunting.

Have you ever looked back at an event in your life and wished you had given more?  I think back to some of my college soccer performances. 

Dillard’s Writing Life

I picked up Annie Dillard’s book, The Writing Life, as a recommendation from a friend.  That is the nature of most books we read, I suppose.  We heard from someone or other that this was a ‘good’ book.  I think some books find us at the right time.  This was one of those books for me.

The humor and personal tales drew me into Dillard’s personal narrative.  I enjoy being ushered into the writer’s quirky world, whether a small isolated wood shop or a remote island.  Her re-counting of solitary ventures were not altogether lonely; because, she was inviting me into them.  Her writing ushered in a vast crowd of friends – if transported only through the written word.  I laughed at how much she resisted writing – the tension between distraction and wonder.  She would be wondering over a word and then admiring a bug in the corner of the room.  I have many of those ‘Oh, look a bird’ moments (where my attention goes elsewhere).

The emotional impact of this book hit me toward the end of the fifth chapter.  All the personal stories and anecdotal sequences introduced the rigor and challenge of writing.  About the artist, she observes, “Who but an artist fierce to know – not fierce to seem to know – would suppose that a live image possessed a secret?”  As a writer, curiosity about the world is key; and listening.  Secrets suggest mystery.

Dillard delivers a line in Chapter 5 that hung with me throughout the marathon a few weeks ago:

“One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time.  Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now.”

The last six miles of the run, I kept thinking “Give it all, Give it now”.  In my mind/heart, this line linked endurance sports and writing.  Perseverance and suffering are results of both pursuits.  It may not be the most strategic running advice; but, for this novice, it worked great.

Marathon Momento – Focus on the Finish

Four months of training for the Chicago marathon, introduced me to the runner’s world:  five am wake-up calls, diet monitoring, Glide – body lubricant, shorts with zippers and fuel-tank elastic bands for storing Gel packets.  Race-day welcomed me into all kinds of interesting observations.  What do runners do when all the porto-potties have 100 ft lines before  a race?  How do you dress for 30 degree weather?  What do you do with your warm-up clothes when the race begins?  When is it appropriate to pee in public?  Shouldn’t a runner dressed as the grim reaper be running at the back of the pack?  I’d like to take a couple of posts to share the most significant reflections that I took away from the race.

Focus on the Finish – Not the Crowd

I jumped the fence into the starting corral at about 7:17am.  I was still 600 yards from the gate where the race begins.  Each runner – from the two hour Kenyan crew to the six hour trotters – had a chip attached to their shoe laces to measure when they crossed the start line.  For those at the back of the starting corral, it took as long as 1 hour for the crowd to filter through to the start line.