ROARING
ALMOST
TO
THE
POINT
OF
EXPLODING,
the
two
dragsters
are
staging
at
the
starting
line.
The
sticky
surface
of
the
massive
tires
grips
the
pavement
for
the
blast
off.
Even
before
the
tree
of
starting
lights
begin
their
countdown
for
the
racers;
the
adrenalin
of
the
spectators
is
kicking
in.
Their
emotions
are
screaming,
“Do
it!
Let’s
Go!
Don’t
wait!
How
is
this
going
to
turn
out?”
The
pit crew of each racer is yelling at their respective driver, “Go
baby! Go baby!” getting louder with each repetition. Each can
visualize his team’s name on the large gleaming trophy and their
names in the Guinness Book of Records for the entire world to see.
Most
of us want to win; be the victor; wear the gold medal. We would also
like to do it without injury or wasted efforts. In these pages we
will think of ourselves as a powerhouse – a powerhouse in my shoes,
that needs some fine tuning.
Now
in
stark
contrast
to
all
the
noise
and
emotion
of
our
drag
strip
is
a
maintenance
crew
chief
with
all
the
quiet
and
focus
of
someone
defusing
a
bomb.
Without
distraction,
he
opens
his
laptop
computer
for
the
umpteenth
time
and
line-by-line
checks
all
the
parameters
of
this
race
day.
He
checks
again
the
correct
entry
he’s
made
of
the
tire
sizes,
shock
absorber
settings,
complex
engine
settings,
and
a
truckload
of
other
variables.
The
well-seasoned
crew
chief
has
two
timing
concepts
with
which
to
deal.
The
first
is
the
timing
of
all
the
individual
parts
of
the
dragster.
Are
the
parts
all
synchronized
with
each
other,
as
the
engine
roars
up
to
launch
potential?
Will
the
engine
give
the
driver
optimum
performance?
If
the
timing
of
the
parts
relative
to
each
other
is
not
correct,
then
the
time
to
the
goal
will
not
be
acceptable.
Hence,
no
trophy.
The
chief’s
laptop
is
another
example
of
timing;
synchronization
(sync).
His
laptop
is
an
orchestra
of
parts
that
must
all
be
in
sync
- in
time
with
each
other.
If
not,
the
computer
will
get
no
closer
to
its
goal
than
the
dragster.
We
can
see
many
examples
around
us
of
trophies
won
by
elapsed
time.
But
closer
inspection
shows
the
trophy
was
really
won
by
the
teamwork;
the
part-to-part
timing;
the
person-to-person
timing;
synchronizing;
of
the
task
at
hand.
The
contrast in purpose of TIME and TIMING should be clear and
remembered. It will crop up later in these pages as we learn how to
fine-tune the powerhouse in my shoes.
