Losing

Woe is me.  A guy I used to play most weeks in Table Tennis came today and trounced me.  This was a guy who when we had a 1,000 game competition, we ended up on 500 games each.  Today he won 18 games to 2.
The two I did win I won close to the end.  By that time he had probably decreased to my standard.  But I like to think it was a strategy I had decided on.  I figured what I am doing is not working so how about I forget about going for it, and just concentrate on getting them back in play and let him make the mistakes.
It worked, but really it was too little too late.  But it gives me hope for next time.  I am thinking I need to do that more in games.  I go for big winners.  They look great when they work but that is not often enough.  I am good at going for too much.  Someone suggested I need a bigger table, but I reckon I would go for it on that too, and miss just as spectacularly.
I was hoping that through the stroke I would be the next Marvel Superhero.  Captain Table Tennis.  Saving the world with Table Tennis diplomacy.  Routing the world of bad guys and their bullets and bombs by hitting whatever comes his way, back at them.  The world would know not to mess with Captain Table Tennis.  On the side of good.  Able to win at table tennis while dealing with a bad guy.  Having opponents collapse from exhaustion while hardly having to move.  Didn’t happen.
I reckon I am a pretty good coach, but I do not follow my own advice.  I am ok with someone going for it and missing if they are doing everything right.  There will come a time when misses are reduced, and they regularly go on.  That is my theory anyway.
But for me the time to get it right is now.  My sun is waning.  I am worse now then I was.  It was inevitable I got worse, but I was hoping it would be a bit later than this.
I did need to redo a word just before.  It said “mooses are reduced.”  I would actually hope that mooses are non-existent around the table tennis court.  They would be such a distraction.  Especially here in Oz where the only mooses are in zoo’s.  I would want to win or lose quickly so I could get my camera out.
That was a bit of a distraction, but the memory of my loss today lingers.  I could say I was just being the perfect host and let him win, but I would be lying.  It would be easier if I did not care but I try hard.  That hurts.  Doing my best, but my best not being good enough.
It would be easier if a win was always a pleasant surprise.  But no.  Once upon a time seemingly in a land far far away I used to beat him regularly.  But those days are over.
Still, I will be strong.  I will take the lessons from it and learn.  I will be better for it.
Nope.  Still hurts.