No smoke without fire, and clothes make the man, and faces are indices of minds. But appearances are deceptive, and don't judge a book by its cover. Haste makes waste; good things come to those who wait, and time & tide wait for no man. The pen is mightier than the sword, and actions speak louder than words. Birds of a feather flock together, and opposites attract. Wise men think alike, but fools seldom differ. The best things in life are free, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. The early bird gets the worm, and the second mouse gets the cheese. Look before you leap, but he who hesitates is lost. Ask forgiveness instead of permission, and strike while the iron is hot, for nothing ventured nothing gained. Better safe than sorry, but you miss every shot you don’t take. Do it well or not at all; half a loaf is better than none. Forewarned is forearmed, but don't cross bridges before you reach them. The more the merrier, but two’s company and three’s a crowd. Misery loves company, but laugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone. Faith moves mountains, and doubt is the beginning of wisdom. Great starts make great finishes, but it ain't over til the fat lady sings. Never too old to learn, but an old dog can't learn new tricks. Good for the goose is good for the gander, but one man's meat is another man's poison, and one man's junk is another man's treasure. Out of sight out of mind, but absence makes the heart grow fonder. Many hands make light work, but too many cooks spoil broth. Hold fast to the words of your ancestors, but wise men make proverbs and fools repeat them.
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Even just passing a soccer ball around in a circle there was a grammar of improvisation, a sense of dynamism, a theme and variation. A rally of head bumps followed by a punctuated accent of a knee. As the ball fell out of, and was brought back into, control, feedback loops increased the wild distance of return volleys, or kept it to tight, controlled, short passes of just a few yards. Energy controlled and was controlled in the looping; every wild save winded the players, so they grew less and less willing to chase strays. There were opportunities for personal distinction through sacrifice to the group—rescuing a bad volley, or juggling showily like a drum solo, or sliding under a falling futbol in flamboyant fashion. They nodded to each other, appreciating skilled returns, appreciating especially arduous or courage returns, or together co-responding to a co-witnessed event.