May 26, 2025: The Learning Loop

It looked impossible.

When I was a kid, my neighbor had an extraordinary skill — and swore he could teach me. But to my untrained eyes, I saw wizardry. Me, being able to do that? No way.

Juggling.

Still, he walked me through the magic. First, the proper technique to toss one ball, then the motions of two, and finally... the system of three. He promised if I stayed focused, I’d get there.

I didn’t believe him. But I kept practicing, and after a few weeks, I could actually manage three balls. Not pretty, but progress.

I continued improving. We started juggling together, passing between us, adding rings and even bowling pins. Soon, we progressed with throwing between our legs and behind our backs. My backyard turned into a circus act.

Gradually, I worked myself up to four balls. I haven’t mastered five yet, but maybe someday.

My neighbor taught me more than a party trick. He showed me how to break a big task into bite-sized pieces, step by step, failure by failure. All I had to do was learn and practice.

Today, something similar happened as I walked onto a golf course for the first time in years. Jake, my son and an accomplished player, offered pointers while I hacked at the tee. And his tips helped.

Gradually, with every hole, I improved as he coached me on the fundamentals. Did he spark an obsession in me? We’ll see.

But let’s just say I’m currently better at juggling golf balls than hitting them.

The PGA isn’t calling, but the circus might.