Sep 14 min read

Week 3, Old but not old enough

This week's post is sponsored by: Evelyn Shenk. Evelyn is one of my best friends who let me basically move in while Marv was in the shop… and the following couple of days. Thanks Ev!

Updates

I am finally feeling settled into my new routine. As you may know, I coach a high school tennis team. Coaching has brought me so much joy, even when there are challenges. This week was a mix of both.

There were many times when I felt frustration start to build around tennis. It’s quite difficult to wrangle 13 teenage girls and keep their attention between the hours of four and six PM. Not only that but being in charge of EVERYTHING that is going on. I have been in many leadership roles throughout high school and college, but I have never been the sole decision-maker. Being in charge of schedules, practices, communication, transportation, and the lives of 13 students is A LOT. I don’t feel qualified for this responsibility, but here I am. Doing it, and it's not going up in flames, so I consider that a win.

The joys of tennis came just as easily as the struggles. I am lucky enough to witness the growth of each player every single day. The week was filled with ah-has, excited faces, and improvement across the board. The girls are starting to motivate each other, cheer each other on, and find community together. This is extremely rewarding to me. Seeing these moments of learning and bonding is so exciting and gratifying as their coach. I don’t think these moments will ever lose that feeling.

Although I don’t feel old enough for the role that I fill, I felt my first taste of becoming irrelevant this week. A player on the team asked me a question and I can’t even tell you what she said. She could have been speaking an entirely different language and I would have had the same understanding.

Later, I thought to myself, “I remember thinking that I would never be one of those people who don’t know the new slang, pop culture, trends, etc”. So what has changed? Why do we slowly stop caring about being relevant?

I can only assume that some people haven’t ever cared about it, and others will never stop.

This led me to the conclusion that I simply don’t have the energy to give. There are too many skills, experiences, and ideas out there to explore and learn. Being relevant doesn't get me closer to any of those things. It will take some time to stop feeling the sting of my relevance slipping away, but ultimately I like my life. If that means the occasional feeling of becoming “old” or “out of date”, then so be it.

A screen shot of wikihow difinition of Unc that says : "Someone has “unc status” if they act older than their actual age. We guarantee you know somebody who fits the description. They’re about your age, but they might use weird, outdated words that nobody their age has business knowing. They still listen to the radio. They just spent thousands of dollars on an ugly paint job for their car. The list goes on: They watch old-school TV shows, like M*A*S*H or Family Matters. They grunt whenever they lift something heavy. They grunt when they sit up or stand down. They complain about back or joint pain. They say things like “back in my day” or “my generation…” They don’t know about new artists or musicians. They’re out-of-the-loop with current slang. They have a big, adult job and probably work in an office." — Definition of Unc according to wikiHow

Plus, I think I got a compliment from this same player. She said that I give “unc vibes”. After further clarification I think it’s a good thing… or at least not bad. If you care to understand the meaning of “unc” here it is… I think. “Unc” is used to describe someone who acts older than they are, but is still kind of cool? For example, being out of date with the new lingo, driving an old van, and wearing baggy old man clothes, but also being laid back and fun.

This definition is the best-case scenario.

ALSO, this player clarified that being “uncle” is different from being “unc” and you don’t want uncle status. Don’t get it twisted.

Quote of the Week:

“The plan sometimes doesn’t plan out but somehow plans out”

-tweet by Pitbull

This Week:

What I have been doing: house hopping for supper so that I don’t have to go grocery shopping and made a batch of granola

What I have NOT been doing: cleaning the van, it's filthy and my pantry spilled while rounding an insane corner

Floor of Marv with plates, clothes, spagetti, and misc. objects all over

What I have been wearing: teacher outfits and re-experiencing high school outfit anxiety

Mariah wearing a green shirt with cream pants in a high school bathroom

What I have been eating: pancakes, I don’t know why I love them so much but had them three times this week

A plate of pancakes on an outdoor table looking at a pond and woods

What I have been reading: Pound the Stone (the book I am reading to my tennis girls) I have not read anything for myself this week (bad Mariah)

What I forgot at home: my back scratcher… this has been devastating

Stats:

Nights slept at Evelyns: 5

Practices that were 80 degrees or more: 4

Things I cooked in the van: 0

Nights it rained: 2

Coffee purchased: 1

Coffee I made: 2

Coffee Evelyn made: 4

Problem of the Week:

An iPad hanging from the overhead cabinets in the van playing a show

I have gotten into the habit of setting up my iPad and watching Netflix at night once it gets dark. I do not like this habit because I usually end up staying up later than I want, and not feeling good about it the next day. I also want to read books instead of watching Netflix. This feels like an eternal problem.

AND

I stepped on something that embedded itself into the side of my foot on Friday. I didn't realize there were pieces of stick in my foot until last night (Saturday). My friend (shout out Lindsey) was kind enough to use some tweezers and get all the little fragments out. Now my foot hurts a lot. That's all.

Text of the Week:

We went to Mexi Night at The Little Grill because Grace had never experienced the most amazing thing about Tuesdays. There is NOTHING better than Mexi Night at The Little Grill.