What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I’m a quick learner. If it’s within my powers, I’ll grasp it in a hurry. Let us count the ways. I only started tuning in to tennis here in Sydney. In spite being unfamiliar, I got the hang of the scoring system right away. Game, set, and match were easy. As were breakpoints, drop shots, and aces. My hasty pickup is comparable to Fukuda in Slam Dunk. With practice, he becomes a dependable jump shooter though a subpar defender.
Proactive
I’m quite proactive. For a while, a couple of issues have nagged at me. It took time, lots of headaches, and resources. I’ve recently figured them out. By myself. Both albatrosses, in quick succession. You can’t solve those problemos without being intuitive. You can scour the net for answers that you may never find. Mind you, they weren’t easy. They’re far from uni modules. Over the past month, using this insight, I’ve applied it multiple times. No doubt, my eureka moments will save my family from more unnecessary migraines. I wished that I gleaned them sooner. ‘Better late than never.’
Dexter, the TV series, had this Asian character. Vince Masuka enjoys a similar watershed moment. He’ll figure out the Bay Harbour Butcher due to algae findings. The whole department jumped in joy and Dexter was perplexed. Turns out it was a case of premature elation. Dexter’s inside knowledge won out in the end. As per Desiderata, there will always be lesser and greater people than yourself. Embrace the challenge and practice humility. An end user should be careful and vigilant. ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’
Veteran move
I mentioned about being good at directions. Whether in familiar territory or beyond, I can work out the route. It’s like players on the hardwood figuring stuff out by themselves. Their helmer trusts them to play on and right the ship. The late Chuck Daly famously never called a timeout during the 1992 Barcelona Olympiad. Apparently, the original Dream Team needed no breathers. Phil Jackson is likewise notable for giving his veterans a long leash. Sometimes, he overdid this. See also: game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals. While his team, LA, was being thrashed, he was hoarding his timeouts for next season.
Learning song lyrics is cruisy for Topher. After two or three streams, I can recall most songs that catch my ear. Too bad I couldn’t play em on the piano.
‘Elements of style’
Most importantly, I can follow style guides and grammar rules snappily. The Oxford comma is painless. I employ colons and italics correctly. I know the difference between further and farther. I also aptly use Aunt and aunt. When to start a quote on a new paragraph. Using tab stops. Formatting epigraphs. What to include in your book’s front matter. Which words to omit. How long should my preface be….
Nobody taught me how to write a short story or nonfiction book. The repository can only get you so far. Anyhow, there’s a big difference between a passive reader and an active author. No one placed a poem in my crib. I didn’t just wing it. I tried and adapted, from paragraphs to stanzas. Within months, it became second nature. Poetry is an art form. As for penning books, you don’t have to be smart. However, you must have a good understanding of English syntax and grammar. A wide vocabulary always helps. A vivid imagination is what you do need. Ideas and dialogue propel your plot forward. Quick aside: Coach Phil is also a prolific author. He’s released a number of bestsellers through the decades.
Underrated but undeterrred
Writers aren’t given enough credit. Audiences so judgmental about us that they often overlook the many months or years we put into our projects. Anyone can belittle, count posts around or walk dogs. I doubt though that they can write fifty pages. No, buying dog food doesn’t figure. Walking your canine in windy or rainy weather is animal cruelty. You don’t want the RSPCA involved.
Our pace is rapid like hoops action. There are timeouts and fast breaks, free throws, traps, and full court presses. Sometimes, we over-dribble and milk the clock. At other instances, we relinquish the ball in a blink. We need our teammates. No one can win a game by themselves. Even Michel Jordan took seven years to get his first championship ring. In this hectic world, being on the ball is highly regarded. Think of the Quirino bus tragedy. Had they been quick thinkers, many more lives would’ve been saved. Thus, we must be decisive and unafraid or we risk getting left behind.
