There’s something addictive about poking a blister. My hands have been perpetually plagued with them this past semester from sporadic crew practices and bass playing sessions, and as a result, much of my time spent thinking–including coming up with this article–has been accompanied by the absent-minded habit of tracing them over with my finger.
I went to the pool with my friend Jess to catch up on the week’s absurdities, and together, we ventured on a side quest to perfect her flip turn. I swam a lot prior to Stevens, but I don’t currently have the best relationship with the pool. Some sharp, tough-love coaching remarks from over a decade ago still cross my mind when I look at the clock through my goggles, and it had been a while since I’d last looked, so thank you, Jess. 🙂
Years ago, at a meet in Baltimore, my coach scolded me for being “consistently inconsistent” after a so-so performance in the 100 free finals. I think this phrase has stuck with me primarily because it still holds an un-sugar-coated truth. If my heart is not in something, whether that be a race, an article, or an assignment, it tends to show. Blisters are a badge of repetitive motion, but not one repetitious enough to actually callous over– and that pretty much sums up my relationship with my hobbies this semester. When I feel a burst of inspiration or passion, I can’t put whatever I’m doing down, but passion waxes and wanes.
I’ll let myself off the hook for crew practice blisters since we can only go out on the water on weekends, but for bass blisters, I have no excuse. There’s a saying that “a little a lot is better than a lot a little,” and while I agree that this sound advice is probably a less stressful way to go about life, I would also argue it is the less passionate and less honest one. Very sorry to all of my dedicated fans for not writing Senioritis these past few weeks. I’m sure you missed me dearly– but know that whatever I do write, play, or say is something I try to do with intention because I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think it was worthwhile or wasn’t completely feeling it at the moment. I recently made the decision to be a part-time student in my final semester here, and I’m excited to transition into a time in my life when, hopefully, I’ll have some more time to become calloused.
