Ray Brinzer

One day in practice an athlete had done something to tick Gable off. I don’t recall what it was, but it was bad enough that he was clearly going to catch hell for it, and was fearing it. So I watched, and got what may be the single best lesson in coaching I ever had.

Gable walked up to him scowling, stabbed his finger at the fellow’s face, and barked, “That’s not how you’re going to be a national champion!”

He then continued to chew the guy out, part of which consisted of telling him how great wrestlers trained; along the way, he indirectly told him several more times that he was going to be a national champion. By the end of it the athlete was almost crawling out of his skin, desperate to begin redeeming himself with a brutal workout.

I went away laughing from that one: Gable managed to punish the guy and brainwash him at the same time. It was just brilliant. But it was not at all a singular event… that’s how you do these things. Dan Gable was consistently positive as a coach, because it worked.

Taken from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones:

Subhuti was Buddha’s disciple. He was able to understand the potency of emptiness, the viewpoint that nothing exists except in its relationship of subjectivity and objectivity.

One day Subhuti, in a mood of sublime emptiness, was sitting under a tree. Flowers began to fall about him.

“We are praising you for your discourse on emptiness,” the gods whispered to him.

“But I have not spoken of emptiness,” said Subhuti.

“You have not spoken of emptiness, we have not heard emptiness,” responded the gods. “This is the true emptiness.” And blossoms showered upon Subhuti as rain.

Things are bad with Adam Frey.

I haven’t written about him, because there’s so little to say. I’m on the outside, and there’s no crossing the distance between us. I’m fine; pretty healthy, as usual. He’s not. There’s no particular reason for it; that’s the way it is.

And that’s it, really. He can fight, and suffer, and perhaps he’ll win. Doctors can help, and perhaps it’ll work. Everyone else can watch.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

Update

Often when I am not explict in my meaning, someone will misunderstand me… and in this, I really don’t wish to be misunderstood. Here is the context of the title, from Ecclesiastes:

The wise man’s eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.
Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Or as Adam said:

All that hard work to get screwed. I cannot even say that hard work and values work in this world, because they don’t. I busted my ass as hard as the next person, and for what?

Next time someone asks me what kind of music I like, I think I shall reply, “Swedish Big-Band Rap”. It’s a more interesting answer than, “lots of stuff”.