PIVOT by Joylene M. Bailey

 

If I had been an athlete, I think I would have played basketball. Sadly, I'm the farthest thing from an athlete but I do enjoy watching.

Two of my brothers played basketball, as did all three of my daughters. So it's fair to say, I've watched A LOT of basketball games.

There is one principle of basketball that I've always found intriguing, and is something that is difficult for a beginning player to learn: The pivot foot. 

In the simplest terms possible, the pivot foot is the foot that remains in contact with the floor while a player controls the ball while stopped.

The player may spin or otherwise change position so long as their pivot foot does not move from its initial position or lose contact with the floor.                            Basketball for Coaches

Basketball players need to be adaptive and creative, as they experience the nuances of the game. With every move from their opponents and even their own teammates, they spin and twist, looking for an opening, a way to their ultimate goal - to get the ball into the hoop. That's creative adaptability.

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A few weeks before Christmas 2020, I put aside the memoir I was working on to prepare for Christmas. We were looking forward to the joyful chaos that a house full of kids, and especially grandkids, would bring. 

We'd been hoping the restrictions would hold off but, alas, the restrictions came down in full force and we knew there would be no little visitors from provinces away. I was down and discouraged.

One day as I sat in the living room commiserating with myself, my eyes fell on the long legged snowman my hubby had given me days before.

Suddenly, my mind opened up to new possibilities. My grandchildren couldn't come to me, but I could go to them with daily stories, complete with staged photographs, about a long legged snowman who got into innocent mischief. 

Pivot.

That's how Jubal's Adventures was born. Soon he had a pet reindeer named Reggie, and a very nervous friend called Beverly Mouse. I've written about some of his adventures here. 

The days leading up to Christmas passed swiftly with Jubal getting into new shenanigans every day. What joy he brought, to my grandkids and to me!

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Just like pivoting in basketball allows the player with the ball to find an opening to take a shot, so pivoting in our expectations allows creatives to create in new ways.

Pivot.

~~~~~

Joy, Jubal, Reggie, and Beverly Mouse live in Edmonton with The Cowboy and Babe-soon-to-be-married. Find more of her joy-infused view of the world at Scraps of Joy.