Breaking Free from Perfection

There’s something beautiful about seeing a father at the park shooting hoops and missing every time. As he comfortably misses shots in public, he clearly enjoys the motions, watching his 3-year-old son scoot around him on the court asphalt.

I think it’s beautiful because so many of us grown-ups have learned to fear anything we’re not good at.

We’ve abandoned the exploration and experimentation that were so natural in our childhood. We stick to what we’re good at far too often, not testing our limits or trying new things.

We’ve grown complacent and anxious.

More often than not, the idea of trying to shoot hoops while missing each one or trying rollerblading or skateboarding for the first time in public uncovers feelings of terror. We might just get judged.

My 3-year-old can do better than him.

He’s embarrassing himself.

Ha, look at that grown-up sucking on his skateboard.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m pretty sure it’s not.

As we grow older, we stop exploring and trying new things.

Watching that dad just having fun while missing most of the hoops he shot awakened in me at that instant a desire to feel that freedom to try and fail. I practiced basketball in high school, and I can see all the flaws in his technique, but I’m not down there having fun in the arena. I am comfortably seated in safety on my bench, watching my daughter, thinking about how I might have judged him in the past.

But today, I know he’s right, and he’s following the path to the most happiness. We could all take a lesson from him.