Ping Pong - Reality Check

I am not sure if I have ever written about this, but I play ping pong, a lot.  I am not going to say I am pro level, but I am definitely a confident amateur.  How much do I like to play? 

Well, last semester I was strolling from the Coffee Bean back to the school library. My law school is located in Korea town, Los Angeles. I heard a ping pong ball, it was odd so I investigated. My investigation led me to the second story room of a building that was a Presbyterian church. I knocked on the door and a guy came to the door. I asked if he they were playing ping pong? He asked who I was…I explained I am a law student and that I heard a ping pong ball and came over to investigate. He looked at me and asked if I wanted to play. I said sure. I entered a room with 6 or 7 guys sitting waiting their turn to play on the table closest to the window. They spoke a foreign language I can’t identify, but signaled me to play. I played 2 singles matches (best of 3) and a doubles match. I won a singles match, 2-0, lost the second 1-2, and won the doubles match. My hosts were very nice and told me to come back because they played every Sunday. After leaving it sunk in that it was probably a bad idea to randomly walk into an unknown building, not understanding the language just to seek a solid game of ping pong. Yeah…I like ping pong, my bad.

Today at the cafeteria, a guy who I played against in the doubles tournament (work just happens to have a tourney a few times a year, and yes we are current defending champs) told me his partner from the tourney, age 36, had a stroke last month.  It was shocking.  I remember being concerned he was going to crush us because he had insane sidespin on his forehand, we actually had to play around it a little, super fit and a good player.  I would never in a million years think that he would have a stroke.  I made me reflect.  Sometimes I take things for granted, people for granted.  Maybe I am not doing enough good in my home or community.  I pray he gets better and that anyone who reads this reflects…  Life is here now, but it can go pretty fast and when we least expect it.