Time on the ice

Going Through It: Hank Green Didn’t Know How to Hold a Baby

I used to think about how there are too many people on Earth all the time, but I don’t think about it as much any more. It felt obvious that there was no point in trying since it’ll all be gone in a thousand years, overpopulation and climate change will kill everyone off. I’m trying my best to live through each day as best as I can. To have the serenity to accept what cannot be changed, the courage to change what can be changed, and the wisdom to know the one from the other. Climate change and overpopulation “cannot be change” in that directly tackling the problem isn’t helpful, but using less energy and water are things I can do in my day-to-day life that can be changed. “No one changes the world alone and no one doesn’t change it at all.” is another thing Hank Green has said. My take-away from that quote is that tackling climate change is a group effort. Any bit helps and if most people help, things may turn out well.

The idea that I just need more time on the ice ressonates a lot with me. I view everything as a skill, from writing, to emotional control, to feeling comfortable around friends, to knowing my place in the world. Do it more often and you get better at it. There’s a story about a pottery teacher who graded half their students based on weight and half their students based on the quality of a single piece. The students who were graded on weight experimented and tried out a bunch of styles, while the students graded by quality theorized about the best way to create great pottery. Quantity is necessary for quality. However, it’s useful to keep the story of MOBA players in mind as well. It’s easy to spend many, many hours and to not improve at all. The experimentation and review is a crutial part of the process as well.

Stories are better when they’re specific and punchy. “Time on the ice”, “pottery weight vs quality”, and “watch your League of Legend replays” stick in my mind really well compared to other, more general lessons. It’s hard to feel inspired by “just do it”, “don’t let your dreams be dreams”, “do deliberate practice”, or “review your work”.