Monday, May 8, 2017

What could go wrong?

Things you should not do while drinking:

Driving.
Any type of surgery.
Online political debate.

But throwing sharp, pointy objects at a target almost 8 feet away?

That's perfectly acceptable.

In fact, some amount of inebriation is preferable when engaging in the certain games of skill found in barrooms and watering holes.  This applies to Foosball and billiards for sure but is most appreciated in darts.

Concentration is needed when attempting to hit dime-sized targets from about 8 feet away.  Yet too much focus makes you edgy, makes you grip too tight and, quite simply put, makes you choke.

There's a scene in The Last Samurai where a flustered Tom Cruise, unable to win a bout against the katana master, is advised that his mind is too aware and too full: he is thinking of the moves, of the people watching him, of all sorts of things.  He is advised to clear his mind, to be of No Mind.  Mushin.  (Cruise then winds up executing a draw.)

The proper amount of sudsy lubrication can certainly aid one in achieving this state.

It helps you chill and let instinct and nature play a more even role and balance out the technical aspects of throwing a potentially lethal object.  But there, of course, a balance.

I find that the more I drink, the better I play... to a certain point.  I then plateau and am good for maybe one more beer and then accuracy drops precipitously.  At that point, anyone in the immediate area (even those standing behind me) should make sure their affairs are in order.  Uber is a given (see above about drinking).

So go ahead!  Get loose!  Grab you some Vitamin B and achieve mushin.  So you're throwing a pointy object!  What could go wrong?




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