A Further Discussion of “The Ball”

Warning: this is a long discussion, involving actual science (sort of)

This post was inspired by Shannon’s “Discussion of the Ball”, and is intended to explore some of the more theoretical concepts in detail. The original idea was hers, but I’m going to run with it and see if I can’t clear a few things up. There will be no pictures of the ball.

You can:
- Be “on the ball”, as in, “hey supervisor, don’t worry about me, I’m on the ball with this work”
-Be “off the ball”, or otherwise known as “dropped the ball”, for example “Hey Jill, has Lisa dropped the ball with the project? Have you seen her lately? Can you get her back on the ball?”
-Relate the ball to physical work, or more theoretical constructs like relationships (i.e. the ball’s in your court – you make a move)
-Not only drop the ball, but completely screw up a situation, which is more like throwing a ball and not being able to find it again. There are some grad students who seem to have hurtled the ball, and will never see it again.
-Be beside the ball (Christie, 2005), which indicates an understanding that the ball is there, but you just haven’t got on it yet or started things in motion.
-Slip off the ball, recognize your transgression, and try desperately to get back on the ball, clawing with fingernails and watching yourself slide further away from the ball.
-Dive off the ball headfirst (Besana, 2005).