I played left handed ping pong while wearing glasses

Never Done: I played left handed ping pong while wearing glasses

I almost did two long-standing Never Done activities, but neither worked out. In the morning I didn't go to the hospital. Instead I stayed home to get very focused work done until it was time to move the car. When it was time to move the car, I decided to drive it down to Avenue J in Brooklyn to redeem a Groupon at The Pickle Guys, where I bought enough new pickles and horseradish pickles to last months. Then, I thought to myself, I am so close to Di Fara Pizza and it is never open when I go. This is my chance. I can dash over for a slice, and then bring the car back and get to the hospital. So I drove down Avenue J, and found a parking spot on the street, and walked up to Di Fara, and it was just like a bad dream that repeats again and again and again. Di Fara was closed. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday. This was the third time I'd gone on a Monday or a Tuesday, and the third time I'd been thwarted. You'd think I'd learn.

Once my Never Done appetite was whet for the day, I started thinking of other things I could do, and it occurred to me that since I was spending so much time on the Upper Far East Side, that I should ride the Roosevelt Island Tramway. It would be quick, it would be exciting, and it's something that's been on my list all year long. And I've been in the neighborhood every day for a week. A no-brainer! But the hospital had other plans for me; they were going to let Josh out. So I hunkered down with my laptop and finished up all the work I needed to get done before leaving on vacation, interspersed with conversations with interns, residents, fellows, nurses, and social workers. It did make me laugh to notice that after hope hope hoping that he would get out soon, that a little part of me was disappointed that my tramway ride was getting messed up. Luckily I tucked that little part of myself away pretty quickly (and only brought it out now for all to see.)

When we got home, Josh was antsy. Understandable after a week inside. He has a PICC line in his right arm but other than lifting heavy things or playing tennis with that arm, he's just fine, so I suggested we go to the gym and play a game of left-handed ping pong. He was totally up for it. On the way over, I realized 1) I had not brought my glasses case and that 2) I had never played ping pong with glasses. (I've grown more sensitive to putting my glasses in a case when not using them because only 4 months after getting them, I scratched both lenses and had to have them replaced.) But right away I knew it was an opportunity to do a world-record-style Never Done activity. First time playing left-handed ping pong while wearing glasses. (Josh did me one better, and played me while talking on the cell phone. Sorry the photo is so blurry -- it's an action shot.)

Here's what we discovered about playing lefty. While our shots lacked the blazing power (ha) of our regular right-handed game, the volleys lasted longer than usual, and the game was both fun and focused. I spent my childhood discovering this -- I would bounce things lefty, bounce things while balancing on a giant rolling cardboard tube, juggle things while balancing on a giant rolling cardboard tube, bounce balls on the edge of a raquet instead of the strung face of the raquet, shoot left-handed layups, etc. What happens, of course, when you break out of your comfort zone, is that you have to apply a new level of focus to a normally mundane activity, and it allows you to lift a veil and see all the elements of the activity. I wrote not long ago about approaching life with Beginner's Mind, and on this last day before the start of the new year (leshone toyve everyone!) I want to encourage all of us to try to do this more often -- by choice -- so that when we have to do it by necessity, we already have the strong and flexible Never Done muscles we need.

I went to Di Fara Pizza

Never Done: Went to Di Fara Pizza

I have been meaning to go to Di Fara for six years -- ever since my (gorgeous and talented) friend David told me it's the best pizza in New York. We were on a writing retreat in Florida at the time, and David was missing all things New York, so I didn't immediately catch on to the significance of Di Fara, but when we got back to New York and he still talked about it, it went on my list of things to do. But I didn't. I was actually not living in New York at that time -- I was exiled in Jersey -- but I came to Brooklyn enough that I could have driven to Midwood to eat a slice. But I didn't. And then I moved back to Brooklyn 18 months ago, and I have meant to go -- I really have -- but I can't even tell you the last time I was even in Midwood. Yes I can, and it was before I moved to New York, probably 15 years ago, when I was visiting my friend Carol's parents on East 18th Street, a mere 3 1/2 blocks from Di Fara, and yet I had no idea what I was near.

But a day came when I was taking the car out on errands in Ditmas Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, and Flatbush, so I decided to build the schedule around finally going to Di Fara. I looked up their hours, I had a light breakfast, and started out on my errands. As the morning drew on, my anticipation built. I'm not a huge pizza eater -- I eat maybe a dozen slices a year. Not even. So the fact that I was getting excited about pizza is saying something.

When the time came, I cruised down Coney Island Avenue, and then swung over on Avenue J. I found street parking on a side street, even with all the snow, and hopped out into the cold. Some random website had guided me to pair my slice with Krusovice beer from the supermarket across the street, but I didn't even get that far, because .... Di Fara was closed. I had checked the hours, and they said 12 to 4:30, and 6-9PM. But the gates were down, and the sign on the door said 1-4:30, and 6-9PM. It was 12:15, and the day was all planned out, so there was nothing to do but walk away and squeeze in another errand before my next appointment.

Lately I've been feeling a little guilty about my Never Done year -- which is to say I've been relying a little heavily on trusting that a Never Done moment will pop up during my day, rather than setting out with a firm plan. But I'm not going to feel guilty any more, but rather accept whatever works. And make plans to go back to Di Fara.