Brutal Honesty

A few weeks ago, my good friend, Mark Margaretten (writer for InsidePOOL magazine) and I had a nice, long heart to heart. You see, Mark is probably the highest paid pool writer out there today. His column, View From The Cheap Seats, is a creative, non-fictional perspective to this game. It's a unique, well-written, intellectual, obscure twist from just about every other pool article you’ll read. It’s not instructional, nor informative. It is what it is; the pool world as viewed through the eyes of Mark Margaretten. On that note, Mark's column is highly noted and his unique style keeps his editor and readers wanting more and more. What is his secret? This is what he shared with me. His secret is simple... Honesty. The key is utter and complete, brutal honesty. Mark does not try to write about things he doesn't know or understand. He does not try to sugar coat his wins and he does not disguise his losses. He simply writes about his observations and allows his distinctive writing style dictate the direction of his stories. Why am I sharing this with you? Well, it’s two-fold. First, in speaking with Mark, I have realized that I have fallen victim of the sugar coating and the disguising. I often only share the positive and not the negative for fear of judgment and disinterest in my readers. I am also guilty of not writing about defeats at times because I’m too disappointed to share them. Well, I am making an early New Year’s Resolution. From this point forward, I give you everything. I promise to share the good and the bad and everything in between. I promise to always give you my absolute “honesty”. Secondly, as I make this promise to you, I believe it’s important for us to make this promise to ourselves. In a game where you can not mask your shortcomings, it is still easy to try. We all have insecurities and deal with them in our lives. However, the table does not lie and will not allow distractions and dishonesties to be hidden. I have found my best game on my worst days by addressing disruptions in order to devote myself to the shot in front of me. In life and in pool, being honest about your weaknesses and confronting them will always clear your mind for what’s to come. Thank You for Reading & Happy Holidays