How Things Happen...

There was a charity tournament event in the Dallas area for a friend in Dec 2008. Many cool things were donated to raise money (homemade chili, cash, a lot of cues, gift cards, autographed photos by The Babe, baked goods for sale, etc). I donated 2 paid entry fees to a ladies event and to a men's event for local tourneys in the area. I also had a crazy idea to donate a dinner. They were having a silent auction and so I donated a dinner with me. Whoever won the dinner, I would pay for the meal. A friend of mine made fun of me for that donation. I believe she said it sounded like I was vain or something along those lines. While that bothered me, I stood by my idea - I thought it would be a great way for me to meet someone new or have dinner with someone I already know, and also help her charity. The repercussions of that donation has been amazing.

First of all, almost $6,000 was raised for my friend who didn't have insurance for her cancer. The charity event/tournament was a huge success! (and btw, my friend is doing well).

The Monday after the event, Royce Bunnell of OB Cues tells me that our league mate named Robert Cleland (whom I didn't really know) won the dinner with me. Royce told me Robert exclaimed after he won it that he felt he won the best raffle item of the event. I thought that was super sweet of him to say.

Turns out, that dinner has led me to a lot of topics in my blog, and also helped me in my personal life. Robert told me over that dinner about this straight pool league he was in. He said I would love the game and it would also help my overall pool game. He was to let me know when the next season started up and as soon as he did, I joined it... and have never looked back!

Robert also not only introduced me to pool, he understands fully when my Mom is in the hospital due to her emphysema. Robert lost his wife to cancer a few years ago and he recalls all the rough, long days and nights in the hospital. Robert is also an only child like myself, so he can relate to how tough it can be.

Robert and I are great pool buddies and because he is in my life because of that "vain" dinner donation, I now love straight pool, have a friend to lean on during tough times, and also have a dinner date when I want one. :) Robert and I try to still go to dinner every once in a while to catch up. He and his son both play that Straight Pool league and other 8ball leagues in the area - so I get to run into them all the time now. I have appreciated Robert's help on so many levels.

Robert and I at an end of season league dinner with our team.

It May Backfire

In my Scotch Doubles blog post, I stated I don't feel like it's mandatory to practice with my scotch doubles partner if we both know 8ball well.

Well, I think this time it may backfire! I am playing in the Masters Scotch Doubles with Sylver Ochoa. Even though he is a friend of mine and we have been at countless tournaments at the same time over the years, it doesn't mean we have ever played pool together before. lol. Am I nervous to play with him? Yes. Should I be? No. But, it's Sylver Ochoa; a pro; a well-known pro. He would laugh at me if he knew I thought this way about playing with him. I have played scotch with top pros before, but not in a big tournament against other big players. And if I did, I either was just as nervous and don't remember, or didn't know who the top players were at the time, or it wasn't a big event.

Every time someone asks me who I am playing with in Vegas and I state his name in response, every person has replied, "Really? Wow. " Then they might add, "how did that happen?" "he's a pro!" "wow, he plays really strong." "well look at you." blah blah. lol. Like I'm not nervous enough already. Ugh.

Am I nervous to play against the names on the bracket? Yes. Should I be? No. I am human, though. And although you may be laughing at me, I can't possibly be the only person who has ever been nervous in this situation! I keep thinking, "I wonder how Borana felt before she went overseas and played with Mika in that scotch doubles tournament?" And yet I am not even playing in front of TV cameras like she did!

I know I do not have a strong mental attitude all the time. I have not yet been put under enough pressure situations to just play the table every time and not the name across from me or to stop yearning so badly to win title tournaments. Sometimes my mental game is dead-on confident; sometimes it is not. I can't quite comprehend why throughout all these years my nervousness comes and goes; why my mental angst goes up and down; why it resurfaces the way it does and other times is contained. I would think I would eventually stop going backwards. I have had great periods of time of playing pool with a strong mental attitude, yet then some tough moments crop up.

Am I worried about falling on my face? Yes. Should I be? No. I should go in to have fun and accept this as another great opportunity.

I fully admit I do not have the killer instinct. I fully admit I am nervous right now. I want to have fun and so by the time I get to the tournament in less than 6 days, I hope to calm my brain and focus on enjoying the challenge.

I surprise myself that I can give a talk/presentation/speech in front of a hundred people for my job, yet I'm nervous to play in this tournament? lol.

Like I said, I will review my notes and get my mental toughness prepared to focus on pool for the tournament so I have a chance to not let the negatives of my mind win. However, I never really know which Melinda will show up - the confident one, the nervous one, the nonchalant one, the zone one. Eeek. lol.

I did call Sylver a couple of weeks ago to tell him I was nervous about the tourney and he laughed at me and simply stated, "it's gonna be fun." He knows what to focus on and what not to worry about. Thank goodness, lol.

I am glad for my blog right now - besides feeling very vulnerable letting you all ride with me on my roller coaster of emotions from confidence to tips to nervousness to disappointments to successes - it allows me to consider the things I need to work on.

I hope this week I will have time to share in my blog what I can do to overcome this. I really do know some good tips to help out and I know writing them down will help prepare me even more. :)

Mobile Blogger

Just set up all the technical stuff (I think) to post from my phone to my blog. That's either gonna be really cool, or really bad. Lol