Tag Archives: darla

Art of the Listen - Bench Talk, Political Muck and Such

Hiding Behind a Hashtag

One thing about having a bench chat with someone…

You can’t hide behind a hashtag.

You are expected to have a conversation.  You can’t just hold up a sign, or point to your gimme cap, or utter a couple of slogans or hashtag phrases and sit complacently with your arms folded, knowing you have been heard.

You have to actually talk about something, and preferably something you know about. Your experience. How you fit into the whole fabric of the conversation.  How you feel about it.  And what you think should or could happen.

Because to squeeze that unique mind of yours behind a phrase, a color, a flag, a candidate…well, frankly my dear,  it turns you into a cutout doll.

Blame the mainstream media, the social media, the advertisers, the campaign designers.  It’s in their job description.

But ultimately, it’s your job to break out and have a conversation.

And once you start talking, all those lines in the sand begin to blur.   The blue wavers get to know the surfer dudes out riding a blue wave.  People on their knees praying learn more about people on their knees protesting.  The me’s get to know the what-about-me’s.

And tattoos cross all imaginary boundaries.   Just ask a skater girl.

So give it a try. Have a conversation with someone you don’t know who doesn’t carry your sign.

Get out in front of the hashtag, the candidate colors, the way-too-easy-conclusions.  Just talk.

And with that, I’m off again…

SKATE ON!

Darla

(Bench photo from the Amtrak station in Minot, North Dakota)

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True Derby

Derby Pop Quiz #1

Time for a break in my Bench Talks…enough about what I think.

Let’s talk about Roller Derby.

This highly under-publicized and misunderstood sport is poised to roll out on the international sports stage in a big way.   Best you appear knowledgeable when it does!

It’s Back to School Time, so here is the first of a series of Pop Quizzes, designed to get you up to speed (so to speak).  I’ll take this first answer, then look for some of the officiating pros to answer the next ones.

Q:  “It appears that roller derby is sort of like pro wrestling.  If everyone is just trying to knock everyone else down, how do they keep score?”

A:  Oh, my dears.  Look closer.  While there is a lot of controlled and highly regulated shoving going on, there is truly a purpose.   Think football (although no one carries a ball), and the Quarterback Sneak play.

The Jammer, like the quarterback in football, uses the Blockers on her team to sneak through the lines of the opponent.  The first time she is able to do that, she gets an opportunity to speed around the track and do it again in order to score.  That’s called “lapping” the opponent and where the scores come from (in a pretty simplistic way).

Of course, it gets a little more complicated because each team has its own Jammer trying to get through.  And the blockers on each team are essentially playing Offense and Defense at the same time because everyone is headed in the same direction.

And to add another layer of complication, there are two jammers on each opposing team who can trade off that responsibility to each other during play by changing helmet covers.

But, that’s a good start for the pop quizzes.  And it will give you something to think about during football halftime commentary.

For more detail (and to be ready for the next Pop Quiz) visit the official rules site  for the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.

In the meantime,

SKATE ON!

Darla

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Art of the Listen - Bench Talk

Word Count Words Count

Oh, how social media has changed the world!

The truncated sentences, the abbreviated words, the absolute disregard for punctuation– because, really, who wants to use up their prized allotment of characters with words that are spelled correctly?

Things have changed now that we have to count words or make sure the best ones appear above the “Read More” line.

Continue reading Word Count Words Count →

Art of the Listen - Bench Talk

Mother’s Whispers

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Hello!

It’s a beautiful Mother’s Day filled with cards, flowers, well wishes and memories.  Quite the Hallmark occasion.

In the middle of all the talk this Mother’s Day, though, if you stop for a moment you will hear the mothers’ whispers.  These aren’t the giant moments, not the monumental landmarks or the potent stamps of motherly advice that carry us through the rest of the year. Continue reading Mother’s Whispers →

Art of the Listen - Bench Talk, True Derby

True Derby – Reckoning with the Night Witch

So you reckon you know something about derby?  We caught up with the Night Witch, April, the bench coach for the Sirens at the Augusta regional Low Down Thrown Down.  I asked her when she started to derby…..

Enjoy her story and watch for this sport to go mainline.

SKATE ON, Night Witch!

Darla

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