Procrastination - or Just Dragging my Old Butt?

 Although it still occurs rarely, one of the old techniques used in hockey by the penalised team was to rag-the-puck. The idea was for the team with a penalty to keep possession of the puck as long as they could.  The intended result was the other team would not be able to take advantage of their extra team mate and score. It required skillful skating and clever stick handling to keep the puck away from the other team. Sometimes the spectators were a little concerned when the player, who was ragging the puck, skated towards the opposing team's net and then suddenly turned back towards  his own end. This maneuver was intended to keep the puck away from the other team until their mate was released from the penalty box. I spent many years playing the game I loved and my coach (and there were a lot of them!), when a team mate  was removed from the game, would slap me on the shoulder and say. " Get out there and rag-that-puck".





Montreal City Champs 1961
The Author







The Little Rag Man
Larry Aurie



 Of course, in those days the point was to play the puck, not the man. One of the best great NHL players at ragging-the-puck  was Larry Aurie of the Detroit Red Wings. In fact he was called The Little Rag Man for his remarkable skating and his entertaining ability to control the puck and kill the penalty.

I think the Canadian Parliament has adapted this trick and applied it to the Question Period! Through the clever use of centrally scripted texts to buy time they use up the allocated 30 second rule. One gentleman recently used the words "Mr. Speaker" six times in his 30 second slot! They believe that if they 'rag-the-political-puck' long enough they don't have to answer the question that was directed at them. Thus, today's high jinxs on Parliament Hill!

However, I can't be too critical. It seems as I grow older I find myself ragging-the-puck more and more. Procrastination is setting in and competing with my arthritis.  I find myself saying, "I must do this.." instead of actually doing it! As Anonymous once said: "You know you are getting old when it takes too much effort to procrastinate."  However, it's not a result of any lack of self-confidence, after all I am a Leo!

No doubt some of my procrastinating is some sort of coping mechanism. As a student I never suffered from that famous "student syndrome" - begin to fully apply oneself immediately before a deadline or exam. I started  preparing for the exam, and framing a position paper, the first day of class! Time management was my forte, at least in my university days.

If nothing else I know I am slipping into a "rag-the-puck" situation. Perhaps it is just because I don't have the same energy I once had when I was a young man in my 70's!
Now that I am aware of my new tendency to procrastinate I can do something about it------------ well one of these days!!

And that's Dick's View of the World this Week.