FREE TO A GOOD HOME
The true story of the youngest winner of the Tevis Cup race. An S2C formatted lesson. And some thoughts on enjoying the journey to fluency.
In S2C, we talk about stamina and flow. The fluid motion between letters. Look, poke, look, poke, look, poke. Stamina. The ability to spell letter by letter, words and sentences for as long as desired without prematurely fatiguing mentally or physically.
The dance of coordination needed to pair the ocular motor (movement of the eyes) with a gross motor movement (poking) consistently all while pulling cognitive content out of the brain is incredibly challenging and takes hours and hours and hours of practice.
The movements needed are so precise. One goal of the practitioner and/or CRP is to ensure that the practice put in is done in the best possible way to build the skills of not just accuracy, but also stamina and flow.
Practice makes permanent is a phrase we’ve probably all heard in the S2C world. This is why we disrupt loops that are not helpful, fully utilize the questions within lessons as well as the hierarchy of the boards in order to systematically, and yet with freedom, build skills one on top of the other, one after the other, keeping the end goal in mind, but never rushing the process. We practice well.
I really liked the advice that Lori Stewart gives to newer riders of the Tevis Cup Trail. She is a woman who rode the whole Pony Express Trail (2,000 miles) and then “played” on the Tevis Cup Trail. Her advice is that if you can play, have fun, and enjoy the trail - you’ll be much more likely to reach your goal and less intimidated by the process.
Our community has enough stress. We are here to lift the burden and enjoy each session FULLY without the weight of expectation but always with our goals in mind. Flexible and malleable, yet continuing to work within best practice knowing that we can trust the process to take us where we want to go.
But, I am not only building skills, but I am also a regulation partner. This is another reason we work within lessons. Interesting content is regulating. The skill of pulling cognitive answers is a skill that will benefit in every area of life, forever. In all these areas, I must strive to work ethically. Among other things, this means never asking my client to take on things they don’t want to. Things they didn’t intend to.
I’ve probably talked before about my epiphany with the road trip phenomenon. We planned a cross country trip a few years ago and by planned, I mean that in the loosest terms possible.
We knew where we wanted to end up and around when. California to Pensacola, Florida. While the route and overnight locations were mostly unplanned and fluid, I did meticulously plan and gather the things we would be taking with us. I packed in a specific way so that everything accessible. I brought exactly what each person would need. The tools that would set us up for success. I had an internal structure so that we could have freedom on the journey.
In the past, when I have planned the route and stays to the last detail; when we have a hard deadline for arrival, each leg of the trip becomes a race to get to the next checkpoint. I have missed entire days of vacations, lovely things along the way, by being preoccupied with where I thought I needed to be.
This time, on our cross country trip, instead of being one step ahead and always fitting ourselves into our plan, we let it unfold and responded in real time with curiosity, levity, openness and a bit of humor. I think there’s a Bluey episode about this. It was splendid. A subtle shift in our attitude and approach made a total difference. Instead of grinding out a trip, exhausted when we reached our destination at the end; it was like we were surprised when we got there because the trip had been so spontaneously enjoyable every step of the way.
I have made mistakes as a Practitioner. I have definitely made mistakes as a parent. We all have. I have been so focused on the goal of reaching fluency, of giving my own child a way to communicate, that I have missed the enjoyment of the moment and added pressure when I didn’t mean to. Pushing for openness early leads to frustration and dysregulation. Enjoying each session, trusting the process, and learning from others who have come before me means that the destination of fluency almost shows up by surprise. It sneaks up and delights at exactly the right time for that particular client. Without loads of stress or frustration.
I think we will all make mistakes. It’s what we do when we realize them that matters. I hope I can absorb this reminder to play on the trail. To value the hard work, endurance, and immense effort that our spellers and typers put in to achieve flow and stamina. I hope to protect each of their sessions. And to be surprised by the joy of the journey.
Love this one. Thanks for writing it.
I’ve always been somewhat obsessed by the idea of ‘mise en place’ and where the right boundary lies between rigid organization and fluid creativity/execution. I always thought of an ambulance as the ultimate example - I imagine that strict organization of all the tools and supplies allows EMTs and paramedics to more effectively deal with chaos. Same with outfitting a boat. I love the road trip example because it applies the same lesson in a way that’s relatable and practical. Really enjoying reading your letters, and as always humbled and inspired by the example you two set!