Being better is for all of us

The other day, my husband and youngest son went to the driving range to hit golf balls.

First, let me also tell you this: my husband loves to golf.

It is where he spends most of his spring and summer.

He dresses the part well and usually every gift of his will have a “golf” theme.

Let’s just say it is his “happy place.”

However, for our youngest son and me, well, let’s just say we struggle at golf.

To be it mildly, we stink at it.

Even as athletic as we both are, we cannot seem to keep that little white ball from going all over.

(Good thing the range is wide as much as it is long.)

It’s hard for us

Good golly is it hard.

I will flub a ball two feet away from where I am standing (you don’t get a Mulligan on a driving range).

Or I slice it so far to the right, I silent pray for the people up near the club house on the putting green,

You aren’t supposed to yell “FOUR!” while on the range, are you?

I actually stand so far pointing to the left that it looks like I am aiming for the road.

Golf is a difficult.

Not because of the swinging of the club or the walking up and down the fairways.

There is a lot of thinking you have to do.

Plus, we haven’t taken the time to learn more either.

So we get frustrated

Like anyone of you, I get tense when I am doing something difficult.

Before we even got there, I kept telling myself, “Just have fun. Don’t get mad. Slow down and breathe.”

My husband probably thought there was something wrong, but I was just giving myself a silent pep talk.

Then, when we get there, we each share a couple large bucket of balls.

I had only brought a few clubs with me — because if you are going to suck, it’s better to just suck at 3 clubs instead of the whole bag, right?

First, I grab my driver — the BIG dog.

I like to swing the driver because it makes the ball go high (and usually far).

After hitting a few rockets no where what would be considered a fairway on any course (unless that fairway was as wide as the Sahara Desert), I chose my hybrid.

The head on this club is smaller, but not quite like an iron.

Still giving my ball some loft (remember, I like that) but more control too.

My first swing is a flub — the ball barely went 2 feet.

No Mulligans on the range.

So, I grab my 7 iron.

Praying to give me something good to work with…

and my first swing takes more grass and dirt with it than I know I should.

Oh and did I mention, I never even touched the ball.

When is this over?

WHY on Earth would anyone ever want to play this game?

Once I ran out of balls to hit, I just watch my husband and son.

Especially my son.

Because I could see his frustration.

His lips were pursed together tightly.

If he had shown his teeth, no doubt those would have been clenched too.

Even though he was wearing shades, I could still see how angry he was getting.

Knowing better than to hit his clubs on the ground, we quickly grew tired of hitting one club and grabbed another.

Now, I don’t know what he was thinking, but I could almost feel it.

As i was doing my best to calm my annoyance with my lack of golf prowess, I also understood what we were both doing there…

we were just trying to get better.

Quitting is easy

I remember the dilemma I felt when we purchased my golf clubs for my birthday several years ago.

Do I want to spend the money on something I am no good at?

Or will the new clubs encourage me to stop blaming the Nancy Lopez clubs I bought 20 years ago?

I think I played once with my new clubs.

I even bought cheap golf shoes…just so I kind of looked like I belonged there.

If you gave me a tennis rack or a softball mitt, that I could do.

No questions asked.

It would be easy to let my clubs sit in the garage another summer and collect dust.

Or even better yet, sell them on “Let Go” or in a garage sale, right?

The problem is, I don’t like to do the “easy” thing anymore.

Refuse to quit

I refuse to let this game beat me.

Sure…I may never make any money playing this game, but it is a part of my husband’s life as well as our sons.

So I need to figure out how to “play the game.”

Whether that be putting in more time at the driving range or taking a lesson here or there.

Something has to change.

For now, I will start with the way I think about every challenge…

With the right kind of attitude.

The attitude of getting better…better every day.

Michelle A. Homme 2017 ©