Inspired To Engage In The Game Of Snooker.

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I learnt how to play snooker in less than 3 hours and all these while, I was thinking it would take weeks upon weeks of intensive training.

Prior to today, all I knew about snooker was the fact that it involved a table, balls and sticks(cues). My subconscious has already assumed the game to be a boring one because what form of fun could possibly be derived from shooting balls and changing position? Well, I got the ideal answer to that question today.

My day started off as a normal one and would have most likely ended the same way if our somewhat constant light didn't go off. As the lights went off, I went in search of my power bank and ended up in a sit-out; not to relax but to try out snooker courtesy of the friend in possession of the power bank.

The arena was calm as it was still early in the day. I could count the number of people around the snooker area and unsurprisingly, they were all men. I walked in with the male friend who claimed to be a snooker expert and it turns out his claims weren't lies.

The friend in question immediately took charge. Instead of the regular essay before practice, he went directly ahead.

“Wongi, grab a cue (the long pole).”

“Wongi, focus on the centre of the ball”

“Wongi, aim for the right angle”

Wongi this and Wongi that.

As expected, all eyes were on the only daring lady in the midst of men. I made a lot of mistakes just like every first timer would but after hearing my name a thousand times, I began to get a hang of it.

My grip on the cue became more firm and my focus was a bit more accurate. I had issues with aiming directly for a pocket(the hole by the side of the table) but I did amazing when I aimed at another angle.

I also found out that the white ball (cue ball) is the ball used to strike other balls into the pocket. I used to think that one could strike with whichever ball they chose but this isn't the case. The white ball is needed to move other balls around.

Another significant ball was the black ball which has a value of 7 points. As I watched other players take turns, I realised that whenever the black ball was pocketed, they concluded that the person who pocketed the ball was the winner. Since I was basically just observing, I didn't pay so much heed to that.

This whole outing was inspired by a piece of music I listened to before stepping out of the house. “Said” by Nasty C and Runtown. This song basically talks about resilience and taking chances at life just like I did today.

Although I was a bit reluctant to try out the game because I was in a strange vicinity with strangers, I did eventually and I would say that it was absolutely worth it.

During the game, I prompted myself to keep trying. With the way I was missing and shooting weak shots, I felt like giving up. Nonetheless, I kept going because I didn't come all the way to give up.

I could tell that I got significantly better when a few of these strangers asked to play against me even when I told them it was my first time playing.

This brings me to the song for today “Said". This song is a really interesting one. The lyrics are enough to motivate anyone to stay true to themselves irrespective of where they find themselves or what people say to them.

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Overall, "Said" is a motivational anthem that inspires listeners to embrace their struggles, turn their setbacks into strengths, and strive for greatness against all odds. I guess I found my go-to song for whenever I want to try out something new or face a new problem.

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All images used belong to me and were taken with my mobile device except stated otherwise.

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Love🤍