Up Shits Creek without a Padel...
Ah, the joy of trying new things. Never gets old. If you don’t believe me, I’ve got a suggestion. Make yourself a nice cup of tea, grab some biscuits, then settle down comfortably and allow me to tell you a simple tale of derring do … and fluffy, wuffy tennis balls.
Some years back I used to play five a side football once a week. A bunch of blokes, all around the same age, would jump in a car and head on over to the other side of town to meet up with mates on our regular pitch. As we pootled along, one of my favourite opening conversational gambits, was to ask if anyone had learnt anything over the last week. It was a great way to get people talking. Always worked. Someone had always learned something. Even if it was just the simple fact that winding up the wife was never such a great idea as it first sounded. Ever.
Got thinking about those long ago car trips a few days back, when I climbed aboard a van and found myself once again sitting with a bunch of blokes heading across town to go and play a game. For an hour and a half. It wasn’t football this time, gave that up decades ago, when the knocks and bruises began to outlast the pleasure of scoring a goal. By several weeks. No, this time we were off to play padel. Apparently it can be pronounced either as in, “paddle,” or as in, “pah dell.” Not really sure which is considered correct. But I digress.
Point is, if you haven’t heard of it, I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s a new fangled game dreamt up in Spain. It’s a mash up of tennis, squash and table tennis. Played with tennis balls and something that looks like an enormous ping pong bat. It’s got a tennis net across the court and squash walls around the edges. Must admit, I had heard of it, but had never given it much thought. Dismissing it as a load of new fangled nonsense, like pronouns, politics and plant based meat - grown in a lab.
However, despite my reservations about the game, it is the exact reason I found myself in a van with a couple of my sons and one of their mates, all of them several decades younger than me, all slightly sweaty, but smiling, all on our way home after playing an hour and a half of this new fangled padel game.
Which is when I got to thinking about my old conversational gambit. Asking if anyone had learned anything over the last week. Reason I thought about it, was that I had definitely learned something. That very evening. In fact, I had learned three things. all of them very good to know. But before telling you just what those three things were. Think it might be useful to take a step back, explain how I got involved in all this evenings entertainment.
My sons have been playing this game for a while now. Nearly every week, four like minded souls, gather together in a van and head off for a game. However, on this particular week, they couldn’t find a fourth person to fill the ranks. Takes four to play, you see. Two teams of two.
So, after scraping the barrel of other possible players, and falling out the bottom, one of them decided to invite me. They made it very clear that I was expected to be completely useless. A liability. However, it turned out that for some strange reason, I wasn’t actually that bad at it. Which was unexpected, not least by me.
All of which brings me neatly back to the three things I learned that evening. Firstly, I learned, or rather, re-learned, that it is always good to give new things a go. To toss your hat into the ring. To shake the tree to see what might fall into your lap. Secondly, I learned that, despite what the naysayers might tell you, actually you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Which is always nice to know. Especially when those tricks involve a bat and a tennis ball. And thirdly, I learned that I really rather enjoyed playing padel. Would even go so far as to say that it is now one of my favourite sports (to play) of all time. Though course, that might just be a rush of blood to the head causing me to go all giddy and foolish. Only time will tell.
Main thing is, if you get the chance to have a go at something new in your life, whether that be padel related or otherwise, I would thoroughly recommend giving it a go. It might just light up your life. At least for an hour and a half.
Talking of which, if you’ve read this far - congratulations. And thank you. And if you fancy subscribing, or even becoming a PAID subscriber - then please do. It’s always nice to know someone cares…
Until next time, all the best
Stan