Good Advice

(originally published in July 2010)          

            I'm sure that most of us were told at some point in our lives that if something is worth doing it is worth doing well. Good advice. But G.K. Chesterton, the British master of the paradox, turned that aphorism on its ear when he said that if something is worth doing it is worth doing badly. Think about it.

            There are many things we do that have intrinsic value even if they are not done well.  Take sports, for instance. When I was growing up, I loved baseball. I was pretty good at it until I realized I couldn't hit a curveball. But that didn't prevent me from enjoying the game in spite of dashed dreams of stardom. Today my game is golf. I get tremendous satisfaction from being outdoors competing against the course and sharing the companionship of fellow golfers. But my scores hardly suggest that I am flirting with excellence. The same goes for many other endeavors.  I play the piano, but only for myself, because I doubt others would be entertained by my musical prowess. Value can be found in any positive activity, even if it isn't perfect.

            I had an uncle who had been rejected by a girl he loved. He was so devastated by this experience, he became a recluse and shunned all relationships outside his immediate family. Similarly, he lost all his money in the stock market crash of 1929, and as a result, he became a miser. He left a small fortune, but never enjoyed any of it while he was alive. He should have listened to Chesterton.

            I'm a great admirer of Bishop John Shelby Spong. His advice to my uncle would have been "Live  fully, love wastefully, and be all that you can be." I suppose that applies to all of us who can't hit a curveball, shoot par, or play a flawless concerto.