I don’t play tennis, but I love watching it on TV.

With most sports, this isn’t a shocking revelation. I know very few men ready to suit up in pads and run out onto a football field. Or hop into a race car poised to go 230 miles per hour. But tennis? For some reason, in order to enjoy a nice match on television, one must also compete at the professional level.

Why does this bother me so much? Thanks for asking!

If I were being dishonest, I would say it’s because it shouldn’t matter if I play a sport or not. Which, of course, is true. But if I’m being honest, it’s because I desperately wish I played tennis.

When I was a child, I had crippling anxiety and a penchant for quitting any extracurricular activities when they became “too stressful,” which, due to aforementioned crippling anxiety, was pretty much immediately. I did have a short stint on the tennis court around age 10. But it didn’t last. And neither did dance. Or horseback riding. Or soccer. The list goes on.

Now, as an adult with no hobbies and a little bit more confidence, I often daydream about re-entering the tennis court. My friends and I often discuss getting serious and hiring a coach over glasses of sauvignon blanc. There’s just one thing holding us back: our pride. We’re grown-ups. We should know how to serve a neon yellow ball over a net already.

As an adult, excuses come as easily as pouring a fresh glass. Excuses for staying home. Excuses for taking the easy way out. Excuses for not learning how to play tennis. For the brave ones who put themselves out there, though, there are an abundance of opportunities waiting. Opportunities to not just have fun, but to make a real difference.

This month’s cover story profiles the 20 men and women who will take to the runway at this year’s The Capital Gala, honoring Baton Rouge’s best dressed, to raise money for cancer care and research. Are they professional models? No. But they are passionate and open to the tremendous possibilities that come with trying something new, even as an adult.

As I am reminded while reading the moving accounts of loved ones who have passed away from cancer and are now inspiring the honorees of The Capital Gala, life is short. Too short not to try new things, and definitely too short not to pick up a tennis racket and play with your friends, even if your serve doesn’t make it over the net.

Here’s to trying new things, to having fun and to making a difference, if only by inspiring others to take a chance.