Last week I wrote about how three of my favorite things (Baseball, Fly Fishing, and Jazz) are Arts of Failure. This week now I have been thinking about other ways they are connected.

The most obvious connection is that all three have a peculiar relationship with Rhythm and Time.

Baseball

Ultimately, baseball has no time limit. There is a pitch clock, and some of the new rules—like the “Ghost Runner” in extra innings—are intended to speed the game up. But in theory, a baseball game could last for eternity.

Baseball has long pauses punctuated by sudden action. It has a deceptively leisurely surface, but underlying that is an intensity that can be palpable.

Jazz

Jazz also has a peculiar relationship with both rhythm and time. In jazz, the players create their own rhythm and time through swing, syncopation, and tension/release. That is why listening matters just as much as playing.

Fly Fishing

In fly fishing, of course, there is a distinct rhythm to casting. Time is suspended while reading the water, the hatches, and the very rhythms of Nature. Fly fishing requires waiting without impatience.

Ultimately, baseball, jazz, and fly fishing all reward the ability to stay mentally alive during quiet moments. They are all “actively meditative.”

Next week, I will write about the final way I see the three connected: they all require improvisation within structure