Curling to let go

Over the past year — at the age of 42 — CBC's Sean Foley has learned to play and love the sport of curling. He reflects on how curling has helped him let go, both literally on the ice, and figuratively during tough times.

Here's an excerpt from his personal essay:

"Everything I needed to know about letting go... I learned from curling.  

Well, I learned about letting go in a lot of other places, over a long period of time.  

And of course, letting go isn't really about learning to let go. It's about... letting go.  

Letting go... Right... Now. 

Nevertheless, having learned... and come to love the sport of curling over the past year... at the age of 42...

...I have discovered, contained within this long, humble, and generally affable tradition, a suite of lessons in letting go. 

...

If you're just getting started, and you haven't learned anything new in a while, at least on purpose, you have to let go of the fact that you don't know what you're doing!  

That's what I had to do when I began my foray into curling. 

I didn't know which foot was what, how hard to push, or why things sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.  

I had to be gracious, open and willing to accept instruction.  

Listening. Without making excuses; letting go of your excuse-maker and empowering your ears and nodding your vacant-seeming nods.  

Listening, without needing to say you already learned that part.

Trying, and possibly — probably — failing, without needing to pretend you already know what to do.

Relinquishing pride, letting the barriers down, so you can learn something new...and then...be proud when you finally manage a perfect draw to the button.  

Or near the button.  

Or just — somewhere near the house.  

Wherever."