| No Smooshing! | | | | smooshing. |
| (From the book No Smooshing!) | | | | That unintentionally profound statement also |
| Gary E. Anderson | | | | proved to be the kind of wisdom that only comes |
| High school football is in full swing, and it's fun to | | | | about when a person doesn't know enough about |
| sit in the stands on a crisp autumn night and | | | | a situation to know that something is "impossible." |
| watch our kids play. It can also be the source of | | | | There were perfectly logical reasons for all the |
| some pretty funny comments by the fans, | | | | smooshing going on out there on the field, but |
| especially mothers who may be watching the only | | | | that mom didn't know about any of them-so she |
| football games they'll ever witness-or care to | | | | came up with a simple solution to the problem. I |
| witness, for that matter. | | | | could relate, since I'd experienced a perfect |
| For instance, during one recent game, our | | | | example of that when my friend Digger and I |
| cheerleaders were standing with their backs to | | | | were still in high school. |
| the field, leading a cheer of "hold 'em, hold 'em!" | | | | We had decided that we wanted to write and sell |
| when one of the fathers in the stands yelled out, | | | | jingles for the radio commercials. Filled with |
| "Girls! I think that's illegal!" | | | | youthful enthusiasm, we threw ourselves into our |
| He was right, of course, since our team happened | | | | quest and before a month had passed, we'd |
| to be on offense at the time. | | | | already sold three. Then one night, during the |
| But the real gem of that night was an | | | | recording session for our third jingle, an |
| observation made by the halfback's mother. After | | | | advertising executive happened to tell us how |
| watching her son trying to run off-tackle twice in | | | | amazing it was that two kids could have done the |
| a row, only to get caught up in a tangled pile of | | | | impossible by selling jingles-when everyone knew |
| bodies at the line of scrimmage, she said, "You | | | | it could only be done by the most accomplished, |
| know, it seems to me they'd do a lot better if | | | | professional musicians. |
| they wouldn't all just smoosh together like that." | | | | That was the last jingle we ever sold. |
| Although her comment brought gales of laughter | | | | We'd stopped running in the open field and bogged |
| from everyone around her, and the rest of the | | | | down in the tangle of bodies at the line of |
| night was punctuated by various people yelling "no | | | | scrimmage-we smooshed. |
| smooshing!" toward the players on the field, I had | | | | So if you have a dream, hold it up to the light, |
| to admit-the lady was right. Our plays would have | | | | keep your eyes on it at all times, and above |
| gone better if everyone just stopped smooshing. | | | | all-never let anyone tell you that what you're |
| All the next week, that "no smooshing" comment | | | | trying to do is impossible. |
| kept playing through my mind, and the more I | | | | And whenever you find yourself beginning to lose |
| thought about it, the more I realized that life itself | | | | heart-stop, take a deep breath, and repeat these |
| is like that football game. The key to success | | | | words: "No smooshing!" |
| often lies in our ability to avoid getting caught up | | | | © 2004. Gary E. Anderson. All rights |
| in the tangle of everyday problems and to break | | | | reserved. |
| into the open field-in other words, to avoid | | | | |