Day 30: Golf

Back on the subject of hobbies... I find it extremely crucial to find something important to you that you're continuously good at. This activity should be relaxing and stress free! It should be a time to become one with your surroundings and thereby make it possible to let go the worries on your mind and achieve something akin to inner peace... if you have ever tried to play golf then you know that it is not what I have just described.

One of my favorite quotes ever goes something along the lines of:

"Golf is like a mistress, if you keep it casual it will be a lot of fun. Tell her you love her and she will break your heart!"
                                                        Lee Trevino


Mind you, I really have no basis of comparison for the quote and the game, but I sure can appreciate the analogy. I watch my brother practice and play, and practice and play some more. He is so focused on becoming a scratch golfer that he has become obsessed with the game. Being that I don't have the expendable income that he does I am relegated to going out once every three or four months. I know I am not going to shoot a 72 on that level of practice... and I am okay with that. In fact I shot a 96. I would be lying though if I were to tell you that I don't get frustrated. In fact I hate the damn game! I don't really know why I play it other than the fact that I always know that I have the chance to do better the next time.

For that reason I love the game. You have 18 chances to start over. if you get a 5 on hole one you can get a 3 on hole two to make up for it. It puts life in perspective in a way that few other things can. A man's character can truly be seen on the golf course. Don't ask me how or why, but the best and the worst in people shows up on the course. I am guessing that is why so many companies use it for business deals. The overall key is to realize that this hole is not the end of the world. There are 17 others that you still need to play and they could be entirely different. I try and take that away from the course. In life there are numerous holes of golf, be it a work week, college, marriage, or debt. The key is to remember that all of these things make up a part of your life and that if they are not going according to plan, you can make it up! There will be an opportunity for a par save, but sometimes you need to take a double bogey. When you write down your score the important thing to focus on is not double bogey you are taking now, but the birdie you are about to!

FORE!!!!