I watched Jim Harbaugh furiously pace the sidelines with every insane delayed false start penalty right before the second quarter closed, and he made the same adjustment at halftime I did: he threw on the glasses.
At first, they seem so perfect. You can filter life’s choices a little faster, literally see more… but is it possible that be forcing your eyes into 20/20 focus you lose some of the killer instinct? I notice such a difference between the two modes, and I could swear Harbaugh is going through the same shit.
He must be somewhat smart, right, having gotten into Michigan… so let’s assume there’s a cerebral, analytical side to his madness, too. But we were intercepted by Wisconsin and gave up their only touchdown shortly into the half. I quickly took my specs off and realized I knew what the Maize & Blue needed to do: keep playing defense and securing the ball.
Look, we’re basically on metaphor island since I sound loco acting like I have anything to do with what happens in Ann Arbor. But I have noticed how much stronger my other senses are, and unless it’s something like driving a car which requires the tool of vision, watching a screen three feet from my face barely requires any assistance. Otherwise, I seem to miss the obvious, more like a tourist and less like an engaged die-hard fan.
I can tell Harbaugh is struggling with the same practice. Does it mean us two Wolverines have something in common? Maybe I should throw on the glasses and figure it out… or accept an answer that seems to be looking right at me.
(I think there is a time and place for both, but maybe with something as instinctual as football, it can be limiting to over-focus… I guess I will continue to drive myself insane, and maybe I will find that balance someday soon.)
For example, I threw on my glasses and read this before I posted it… I found it to make perfect sense upon reading, and I see how this mode is alluring, too… tricky indeed! I think it can be likened to the author vs. the editor… lenses therefore seem like a tool not to be addicted to.