Define: practice

I had a business meeting this morning in Ortigas, a place where the only buildings I know, apart from the malls, are Robinson's Equitable and ADB. It's not exactly an area I frequent, due to the lack of sheltered walkways. I shy away from such places because you'll never know when it will rain, and you can be sure that the sun will always be scorching hot.

Aside from being in an unfamiliar place, I've had little sleep, little preparation, little relevant conversation, and zero practice in a long time on rapport-building, especially with new people. I wasn't expecting much out of it, and was even expecting to flub the whole thing.

The cab driver I got was a nice, jolly fellow, who guessed right away what the objective of my trip was and wished me luck. That certainly was something to smile about. He spoke with well-enunciated words, emphatic tone of voice, expressing himself in a business-friendly manner that is, while common, not expected. Here's Manong who's probably been out since dawn, driving commuters around the city, with no obligation of saying anything to anyone other than "saan tayo?", and yet, he takes the time to converse naturally with me as if we take this route together every day.

I arrived at the meeting feeling well-prepared for a riveting conversation (riveting is to Candy, as legendary is to Barney), motivated by a simple lesson from Manong: practice is something you choose to do, regardless of opportunity, location or circumstance.