Language points So what's so bad about being so-So? by Lisa Wilson Strick 1 The other afternoon I was playing the piano when my seven- year-old walked in. He stopped and listened for a while, then said You dont play that thing very well, do you, Mom? 2 No, I don't My performance would make any serious music student weep, but I don't care I've enjoyed playing the piano badly or vears 心
So What’s So Bad about Being So-So? by Lisa Wilson Strick 1 The other afternoon I was playing the piano when my sevenyear-old walked in. He stopped and listened for a while, then said: “You don’t play that thing very well, do you, Mom?” 2 No, I don’t. My performance would make any serious music student weep, but I don’t care. I’ve enjoyed playing the piano badly for years. Language Points
Language points 3 I also enjoy singing badly and drawing badly. Im not ashamed of my incompetence in these areas. I do one or two other things well and that should be enough for anybody. But it gets boring doing the same things over and over. Every now and then it's fun to try something new 4 Unfortunately, doing things badly has gone out of style. It used to be a mark of class if a lady or a gentleman sang a little, painted a little, played the violin a little. You didn't have to be good at it; the point was to be fortunate enough to have the leisure time for such pursuits. But in today's competitive world we have to be"experts even in our hobbies 心
3 I also enjoy singing badly and drawing badly. I’m not ashamed of my incompetence in these areas. I do one or two other things well and that should be enough for anybody. But it gets boring doing the same things over and over. Every now and then it’s fun to try something new. 4 Unfortunately, doing things badly has gone out of style. It used to be a mark of class if a lady or a gentleman sang a little, painted a little, played the violin a little. You didn’t have to be good at it; the point was to be fortunate enough to have the leisure time for such pursuits. But in today’s competitive world we have to be “experts” even in our hobbies. Language Points
Language points 5 You can't tone up your body by pulling on your gym shoes and logging around the block a couple of times anymore. Why? Because you'll be laughed off the street by the"serious runners the ones who run twenty miles or more a week in their sixty-dollar running suits and fancy shoes. The shoes are really a big deal. If you say you're thinking about taking up almost any sport, the first thing the serious"types will ask is what you plan to do about shoes Leather or canvas? What type of soles? Which brand? This is not the time to mention that the gym shoes you wore in high school are still in pretty good shape. As far as sports enthusiasts are concerned, if you dont have the latest shoes you are hopelessly committed to embarrassing yourself 心
5 You can’t tone up your body by pulling on your gym shoes and jogging around the block a couple of times anymore. Why? Because you’ll be laughed off the street by the “serious runners” — the ones who run twenty miles or more a week in their sixty-dollar running suits and fancy shoes. The shoes are really a big deal. If you say you’re thinking about taking up almost any sport, the first thing the “serious” types will ask is what you plan to do about shoes. Leather or canvas? What type of soles? Which brand? This is not the time to mention that the gym shoes you wore in high school are still in pretty good shape. As far as sports enthusiasts are concerned, if you don’t have the latest shoes you are hopelessly committed to embarrassing yourself. Language Points
Language points 6 The runners aren't nearly so snobbish as the dancers, however In case you didn't know, " going dancing no longer means putting on a pretty dress and doing a few turns around the dance floor with your favorite man on Saturday night. Dancing" means squeezing into tights and leg warmers, then sweating through six hours of warm-ups, five hours of ballet and four hours of jazz classes. Every week. Never tell anyone that you like to dance"unless this is the sort of activity you enjoy 心
6 The runners aren’t nearly so snobbish as the dancers, however. In case you didn’t know, “going dancing” no longer means putting on a pretty dress and doing a few turns around the dance floor with your favorite man on Saturday night. “Dancing” means squeezing into tights and leg warmers, then sweating through six hours of warm-ups, five hours of ballet and four hours of jazz classes. Every week. Never tell anyone that you “like to dance” unless this is the sort of activity you enjoy. Language Points
Language points 7 Have you noticed what this is doing to our children? We dont want that nerd on our soccer team, "I overheard a ten- year-old complain the other day. He doesn't know a goal kick from a head shot” As it happens,the“"nerd” that the boy was talking about was my son, who did not like some of his friends - start soccer instruction at age three. Im sorry, Son, I guess I blew it. In my day, when we played baseball, we expected to give a little instruction to the younger kids who didn't know how to play. It didn't matter if they were terrible; we weren't out to slaughter the other team Sometimes we didn't even keep score To us, sports were just a way of having a good time 心
7 Have you noticed what this is doing to our children? “We don’t want that nerd on our soccer team,” I overheard a ten-year-old complain the other day. “He doesn’t know a goal kick from a head shot.” As it happens, the “nerd” that the boy was talking about was my son, who did not — like some of his friends — start soccer instruction at age three. I’m sorry, Son, I guess I blew it. In my day, when we played baseball, we expected to give a little instruction to the younger kids who didn’t know how to play. It didn’t matter if they were terrible; we weren’t out to slaughter the other team. Sometimes we didn’t even keep score. To us, sports were just a way of having a good time. Language Points