I recently went to a 5 year olds birthday party. Well...I didn't go. I took my daughter there. You know what I mean. Moving on.
It was a small party. Mostly family and a few friends. As the children proceeded to quietly and methodically destroy a lovely home, the adults gathered at a table. It was at that moment I felt a very uneasy feeling settle upon me.
Was I the dumbest person at this table? Some of you are likely shocked by this quandary of mine. Those that may know me, I would hope do not consider me as "dumb". Furthermore, those who really know me know that I would never consider myself "dumb". Most of the time I feel as if I'm the smartest person I know. Present company not excluded.
Now at this very small table sat individuals who were actual, world-renowned experts in their fields. Like, you could google them and be like "what the heck was Joe doing hanging with this group of people?". Like I said. It was a 5 year old's birthday party. My daughters hangs with good peeps.
Oddly enough at this very instance a story popped into my mind about the SWAT at Oakmont. For those of you not familiar with the SWAT, google it and check out the piece the Golf Channel did on it.
Short story, it's a regular game for members and select guests at the toughest course in a America, Oakmont Country Club. The unique aspect of this game is that there are no handicaps. It's a "gross" ABCD, 1 best-ball of the group event. However, this doesn't turn away high(er) handicapped players from anteing up their money as well as more then likely picking up their ball on every hole as they are out of most holes before they reach the green.
So why would they play? Golf is why.
Because no matter how good you are, no one knows when lighting will strike and you may make an improbably, critical birdie (or par which is as good as a birdie at Oakmont) for the team. And if you are the C or D or perhaps rare E player, well then those holes will absolutely be a story that is relived over and over again.
"Carl…you remember that time on #17 when I sculled it out'a Big Mouth into the back bunker then holed that bunker shot for birdie when everyone else was putting for par? Wasn't that great!!!" I pray you all get to have story a like that.
So as I sat at that table with these intellectual giants who I can only imagine not only know how IQ's are measured but have ones that are 100 yards down the fairway from mine I thought…..maybe if I pay attention, listen intently, and really focus perhaps I can throw a birdie on the card for this group.
I'd like to think I drained a couple bombs that afternoon. What I can undoubtably say is by paying attention to the conversation and absorbing as much as I could, I walked away with some new knowledge as well as a direction in which to find more. On top of that, I truly enjoyed the conversation and felt a bit of satisfaction that I could hang with some serious scratch intellects.
The same goes for golf. Never be afraid or intimidated. Play your game. Observer and learn from theirs. And pray for a little bit of lightning.
JL
No comments:
Post a Comment