For the first four-plus decades of my life, I probably played ping pong a handful of times. So when we renovated the basement and got a ping pong table top for our pool table, I really didn't anticipate playing very often. I thought it would be used by the next generations visiting our home.
And then.
We started to play. The first few times, I was fairly inept and more than a little concerned about my seeming lack of eye/hand coordination. But we've played a few times a week over the last month and I have earned a laudable progress report. Practice really does seem to pay off. I'm still more than a little inept and not likely to turn pro anytime soon (or ever)), but I've become more competitive and actually won (barely) two games over the weekend.
Ping pong give us a chance to unwind together at the end of the day and keeps us active since dark evenings are upon us earlier and after-dinner walks aren't as feasible. But what I like best is how much we laugh during these games - at poor shots, lucky shots, facial expressions and verbal reactions. Not only can we pound out stress on that little plastic ball, drive Shelby crazy by playing a ball game she can't be part of (she paces around the table counterclockwise and howls), and get a little exercise, we laugh together and we laugh a lot.
And so that ping pong/pool table we invested in? Already paying more dividends than I ever imagined. I'm looking forward to continued good times and laughter around that table in the days to come.
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