Golf - March 13, 2014

As published in the White River Current - Thursday March 13, 2014

March is birthday month.  Four of the five OFC members, two spouses and two deceased members have March birthdays.  The birthday of a family member is either on the 4^th, 9^th, 12^th, 15^th, 16^th, 20^th, or the 26^th (hope I didn’t miss anyone).  You’ll have to guess which date is mine in case you want to go shopping.  I’ll give you a hint.  It’s also the first day of spring, next Thursday.  “What a wondrous time is spring when all the trees are budding, the birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming” wrote the hymn writer, Kurt Kaiser.   Spring is a favorite season for many folks.  It’s all about the new life that pops up around us.  You know, the seasons have been compared to the progression of our lives, starting with birth (spring), continuing through young adult (summer), middle age (fall) and  ultimately ending with winter.  Of course, it may not always work out exactly like that, but you get the point, which brings us to the topic of this week’s discussion which is ….GOLF.  I always thought I would be good at this sport, but I have never swung a wood over a tee, chipped with an iron onto a green from a bad lie in a challenging rough, never coaxed a putt with a putter and a prayer and never once had  the opportunity to appreciate the ambiance, atmosphere and A/C of the nineteenth hole.  However, I ran across an e-mail article that I would like to share with you.  It also illustrates the seasons of life.  The title that the writer gave was “And Then It Is Winter” and is adapted from a lengthier article entitled “The Back Nine”.  Here is my edited version of the article:  “You know time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.  It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate.  Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.  I know that I lived them all.  I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.  But, here it is – the ‘back nine’ of my life and it catches me by surprise.  How did I get here so fast?  Where did the years go and where did my youth go?  I remember vividly seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that ‘I was only on the first hole’ and the ‘back nine’ was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine what I would be like.  But, here it is…my friends are retired and getting grey.  They move slower and I see an older person now.  Some are in better and some in worse shape than I am, but, I see the great change.  Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant…but like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d become.  Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore…it’s mandatory because if I don’t on my own free will, I just fall asleep where I sit!  And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!  But, at least I know, that though I’m on the ‘back nine’, and I’m not sure how long it will last, this I know for sure, that when it’s over on this earth…it’s over.  A new adventure will begin!  Yes, I have regrets.  There are things I wish I hadn’t done…things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done.  It’s all in a lifetime.  So, if you’re not on the ‘back nine’ yet…let me remind you that it will be here faster than you can imagine.  So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!  Don’t put things off too long!  Life goes by quickly.  So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you’re on the ‘back nine’ or not!  You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life…so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember, and hope that they appreciate and love you for it.  Life is a gift to you.  The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after.  Make it a fantastic one and live it well.  Have a great day!”   Starting a new series next time.  Bye for now.  CU in 2 weeks.