Dissecting "The Zone".

Being in the zone is a phenomenon I can't really explain, but if you've ever played competitive basketball and have some semblance of ability, you would've at least had to have brushed it once.

It's sort of abstract -- the game almost slows down to your bidding and you establish the pace for yourself while everyone else follows. Confidence is brimming and you see plays unfold before you make them. It's basically subconscious;

He's playing me deep.. I pull up.
He's trying to get inside my guard.. I attack his strong leg.
Double team's coming.. make the right pass.

When you're in it, rare misses leave no impression, you shoot as if you're on fire, no passes are errant, and defensively you read almost every move. But most of all, you're comfortable. Your mind is blank, yet completely aware in every intricacy around you. You almost hear your own breath above the sneakers and the shouting, and nothing can sway your thoughts from the ball in your hands and the rim in front of you.

I wish I could bottle up that feeling when it comes so that I can recreate it at will, but it's one of those euphoric concepts that can never be grasped. Yet when it does appear, it's always a pleasant surprise. Maybe it's because I have no expectations for it that makes it so overwhelmingly powerful. Isn't that true for all the small things in life? They have the impact to blindside you, make you smile and leave you refreshed.

And for one night, I felt ready to take on the rest of the world.