Dialed In

I personally realize the importance of being dialed in. As we age, it seems we can easily lose control of our dial, and we need to focus on it more. Being dialed in is hard work and requires effort. As you know I go to senior CrossFit or MOVE twice a week. I find being dialed in for me, depends on the day. If I have "the talk" with myself, I have better results. Most days I am dialed in, others the dial is just going back and forth aimlessly. For example, I have been doing considerable biking, the options of rowing and skiing are out for me right now. We were doing a partner activity, and my responsibility was to bike in intervals for 2000 meters split with my partner working on the skier. I don't like biking, at all, but I have to say I am getting much better at it. So, off I go and I think to myself, "self you are never going to make it to 2000 at this tension, turn it down to 0". I could see a 0 so for my next turn, I would have it set where I wanted it. Well, I knew biking was not my thing, but with my new setting I could hardly move the pedals. Out of the blue, comes my trainer, he says, "do you always bike at a 10?" He said he usually bikes at a 6 and wondered if it wouldn't be easier for me at a 5. It was a miracle; I could bike like a crazy woman at 5. Couple of issues here; one is I saw the 0 and never checked to see if a 1 was in front of it. I certainly wasn't dialed in at all!!!! I disliked biking so much I never in 2 years paid attention to the dial. It is amazing how those couple of minutes biking at 10, provided me with incredible stiffness. So, for one hour it is set your dial and "Focus, Focus, Focus".  

I have watched considerable curling this year and my curling skills have improved in my living room. I think most of us are terrific curlers in our own mind. Canada has done so well at the Olympics with the men winning gold and the women winning bronze. Why is it we just expect our curlers to be gold medal winners. They stand out in Canada but in the World field they have their hands right full. 

"Dialed in" is a term that the announcers use to describe the skips when they are having a good game. If it is not a good game, they don't mention the word "dialed" at all. I guess, "they are not dialed in" is not said in curling conversation.

Team Canada just won a silver medal. Kerry and her team curled incredible and deserved a medal. The announcers used the phrase, "dialed in" to describe Kerry's play for most of the games. Rarely did she have a bad game, but when she did, I am assuming her dial was the issue.   

I like the world curling. Japan cheered for every shot and jumped for joy when they made a shot. That is not a common practice to the stoic Canadians. Oh no, a simple fist pump or a broom in the air is as far as it gets. Jumping for joy only comes when you win a medal. Unless you are Koe and then there is absolutely nothing! 

I realize I am old, but when you are the featured game and you put a mic on, is that not with the assumption you keep your conversation clean. Being put in a position of being accused of cheating can bring the worst out in you. Edin has led the curling world for years and he was not doing well at the Olympics. To have a player off of that team accuse another player of cheating not in the proper manner, made me wonder what his motive was. The sad part is his actions weren't questioned once Marc sounded off. The focus turned to Marc's choice of words. Marc did apologize later, I guess he forgot, you never have to apologize for something you didn't say or do. Val also proved that maybe we need a delay in the mic, like on TV. I am sure everyone has their own feelings about this situation, mine is they are representing Canada, dial in. 

I think retired people could use the phrase, "dialed in" or perhaps "not dialed in" would be more useful. I feel as we age, we need to keep the ability alive to focus on something and not let our minds wander. When I "dial in" and truly focus it is incredible what happens. When we deal with something that didn't quite go as planned, or in my case often a colossal disaster, I guess it is because we weren't dialed in. People are just going to have to accept that there were some issues with the dial and deal with it. To quote Walter Cronkite, "that's the way it is.