You probably know that I've got a pinball machine - the Twilight Zone (best machine in the world). I'm not that good at it, better than some and worse than others. Rich, the person who sold it to me, was very good at it. He made it seem effortless. I'd watch him play and try to spot what he did that I didn't. The answer is not much. It is just that he does it consistently. Whereas I managed to hit certain targets now and then, Rich could just hit them every time. And he knew what combinations gave the best payoff.

So, will I ever get as good as Rich? How much of ability is "born to play the silver ball" and how much is down to hours of practice. Should I give up because I don't have the pinball gene or should I spend every hour practicing? If I really wanted to develop a "pinball strategy" perhaps I should try my best up to the point where I can decide whether I was born to do this or not. And then learn to live with this. Having thought about this though, I've come to the conclusion that I'm being silly here. The key question to be considered is "Do you enjoy playing pinball Rob?". If the answer is yes - keep playing it. If the answer is no - find somethng else.

These are all interesting issues. And they don't just apply to pinball.