Only 24 Minutes

We fell into a routine; silence in the morning, and non stop chatter in the afternoon. The drive to school was usually quiet besides the occasional: “do you know who sings this song?”, to which a correct answer earned a “Nice, Bud!”. 

The drive home after practice was anything but silent. That is when my pops and I discussed everything. Everything that is, besides playing time. Always taking my lead, we would discuss practice until I was over the topic. We would discuss effort, attitude, extra work, but never, and I mean NEVER, other kids, or if I deserved to play more. I would ramble about how Coach made us run or how I had been moved to the 2nd line midfield, and my pops would nod along before asking, “did you hit the wall today?” or “did you stay after and get some shots up?” Which I knew was code for “shut up about playing time if you aren’t willing to work hard.”

The topic always shifted to the more important things in life, such as who I would take to prom, which teachers were looking out for me, the importance of being an older brother, and most importantly, food. The parking lot of Wendy’s was the scene of many heartfelt conversations. Over a spicy chicken sandwich and some fries, I would pour my heart out about goals and aspirations, and my dad would just listen. He would chime in, keep my emotional 15 year old self on track, but he would sit idly while I would ramble about the things that teenagers ramble about. 

Today, I am 29 years old, but in my father’s car I am still 15. In his passenger seat, no topic is off limits. I can still express my fears, and my dreams, while he listens intently, and occasionally quizzes me; “do you know who sings this song?”.

Cherish the car rides. Cherish every moment alone with your parents, with your kids. Cherish the moments when the runny nosed neighbor needs a ride as well. Cherish the rides after losses as much as the euphoric rides after a big win. Don’t complain about the traffic and remember to never be in a rush– each moment together is precious.

Mindset Exercise of the Week: Attention

Ever catch yourself just kind of… floating out there? Standing at the restraining line thinking about what's for dinner?

Mind wandering. Legs moving. Thoughts all over the place.

When that happens, do this:

Pick one thing to focus on for the next 30–60 seconds. Just one.

Lock in on that and let everything else fade out.

After the rep, you can switch if you need to.

Attention doesn’t improve when you try to notice everything.
It improves when you make your focus smaller.

You don’t need to try harder.
You just need something specific to lock onto.

Songs of the week: 

Childhood by Barry Can't Swim

Rooftops by Surfaces

The Dress by Dijon