Au Cochonnet Marin

 

“The club expects that every man will do his duty.”

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With the re-apparition of long-awaited sunny days, I will never stress enough the importance of the “pointer” in the game of Pétanque. I know that I have talked about this before, but after losing countless encounters, I want to reiterate my belief in the value of the pointer.

In the game of pétanque players are basically divided in two very distinct categories. There are “pointers” (the worker bees, the skilled craftsmen) and the ”shooters” (the muscle, the gorillas, the gunslingers).
A gunslinger though, without the assistance of a skilled pointer is very vulnerable. With only 2 or 3 bullets at his disposition, he has to fire (accurately) and only as a last resort. Once disarmed, he is as harmless as a defanged cobra.

The first boule thrown by the pointer often determines the outcome of a game. A successful placement is both strategically and psychologically important. It forces the shooter to either fire a precious bullet or pressure the pointer to do better.
Psychologically, it is also subtly undermines the confidence of the other team.

Even when the pointer eventually manages to put a boule in the close vicinity of the “cochonnet”, not doing well with the first boule immediately tips the balance in favor of the opposite team. Each player has a limited amount of ammunition that needs to be used very judiciously. Each failed attempt to score is a wasted bullet and an added advantage for the opponent/s.

Women generally excel at pointing, and proficient players are sought and wooed for important tournaments. If I were in such a position, I would play coy and go with the highest bidder (cash or an all paid vacation to some swank resort).

I am not saying that pointing is the exclusive domain of women; they can also be excellent shooters. Last night for instance I had the pleasure to play with against Honor W. for the first time and she really impressed me with her shooting ability. Like a born shooter she throws her boule “au fer” and her batting average is more than respectable.
A real pleasure to compete with such a cool, elegant, accomplished player.

To sum it up, the shooter solely does not win a game. Without a good pointer, he is like a tank without infantry support. Very vulnerable to anti-tank fire.
Don’t forget that some shooters also have a very thin skin. After missing a few times they lose heart and fall apart. This is when pointers should take advantage of their disarray and point more exquisitely than ever.

Hail to all pointers! May they arm-wrestle petanque gorillas into submission every chance they get!

Alain

 

“La gentillesse, c’est de l’amour donné par petites bouffées.”
“Kindness is love given in small puffs.”

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Those who are close to me know that I am partial to dogs, cats, myriads of four-legged critters and GNP. Not “the total value of the goods and services produced by the people of a nation during a year“ but the other GNP: the Genuine Nice People.

In a world of fakes, phonies and con men it is nice once in a blue moon to come across a honest-to-goodness Genuine Nice Person. But unfortunately they seem to be a vanishing breed that needs protection.

Nice people don’t tout their niceness. It is up to you to discover them.
They are like truffles. You might have to dig a little to find them and appreciate them, but it is definitely worth the effort.

The main quality of a GNP is empathy, the ability to understand and share someone’s feelings. GNP listen and identify with your problems. They are kind, compassionate and discreet. You can confide in them without fearing that your most intimate feelings are going to be broadcast to the four corners of the earth.

A GNP is almost like a BFF, but in a better, improved version. You are born a GNP while a BFF is a (flaw-prone) manufactured product.
A BFF might judge and condemn while a GNP will listen and soothe, without ever passing judgment. In times of sorrow, we all need a sympathetic ear, and if you are lucky a true GNP will always be there to commiserate with you.

This year, without fear of contradiction, I confer the title of GNP to Liv Kraft, a bona fide Genuine Nice Person.
She is a delightful companion, a good pétanque player, a helpful club member, and a joy to be around. May she live forever.

Three hearty cheers for her!

Skal Liv!

Alain

“Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

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I have been a Seinfeld fan from the start and I still vividly remember many of the series’ episodes. I particularly recall “The Puffy Shirt”, the second episode of the fifth season.

In this installment, Kramer’s girlfriend (Leslie) says something to Jerry. Since she is a “low-talker” (a person who talks in a low, soft voice) and not really comprehending what she said, Jerry and Elaine just nod their heads in agreement… and Jerry ends up wearing a ridiculous “puffy shirt” on a popular talk show.

Over the years I have become let’s say a tad “acoustically challenged”. I don’t hear as well as I used to, but I am still in running condition.
I don’t pretend to have my cat’s auditory perception (who while napping can hear a mouse fart) but I still can hear you perfectly well providing that you are not a mumbler or a “low-talker”.

So yes, I have a beef (maybe a calf) with low-talkers.
It is not the responsibility of the listener to hear well, but the duty of the speaker to get the message through. By carefully monitoring his audience, an accomplished speaker will know if his message is received or not. If he notices a vacant stare somewhere, he should realize that he is not getting through and try again.

Like many slightly impaired people, when I don’t clearly understand what is being said, I politely ask the person to repeat what he/she just said.
But if for any reason I don’t grasp what is being said for a second time (just like Jerry and Elaine) out of embarrassment I might nod in agreement… with sometimes-unforeseen consequences.

“An older man had serious hearing problems for many years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the man to hear 100%.
A month later the old man went back  to the doctor who said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.”
The old man replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to their conversations. I’ve changed my will three times!”

 So, if somebody seems to constantly agree with you, keep in mind that it might not be that you are exceptionally convincing, but rather that your interlocutor did not get a thing you said.
And you should ask yourself: am I a mumbler or God forbids, a “low-talker”?

Do you copy? Over and out!

Alain