TT mercilessly reveals my limits, my flaws, and forces me to reassess myself and makes me both move my limitations and come to terms with them.
It teaches me humility as well as respect for self and others. It challenges that humility too in moments of glory.
TT sharpens my mind, makes me open to the unexpected and forces me to adapt immediately.
TT helps me sacrifice my own goals and desires in aiding other persons development.
TT offers the playing field on which 80 year olds meet with 10 year olds, with both learning and having fun.
TT broke my body and spirit when very young, and still in my 30 years of not playing it I often felt a raw longing for the feel and sound of hitting the ball, and the fluid rhythm of the game in my thoughtless body.
After returning to it It became apparent immediately how starved I’d been of it (was I not wean’d till then?). For TT, it is a hunger. A raw and aching need (as the divine Miss M sort of put it).