Everything Old is New Again

I had an epiphany last week.  I was in the T-Mobile store waiting for my new cell phone to be loaded with all of my old stuff and had a little time to think, because I did not have a cell phone to check while I was waiting.  I was there trading in my old phone.  It had been providing me with numerous opportunities to exercise my patience by locking up on a regular basis.  I opted for a new version of the same phone.  Nothing adventurous just the same phone...the next generation.  That's when I realized, I am either very loyal or I am just not that adventurous.

We also went car shopping last week.  Don't even get me started....I hate car shopping.  So much pressure!  I have issues.... "spending large quantities of money" issues, "fear of getting taken" issues, "you are wasting my time" issues, and they all make me dread car shopping/buying.  I've had my current car for 8 years.  I like my car.  It has served us well.  It fits like an old pair of shoes.  So we test drove the new version of my car.  Same car, just the new version.  Go figure...I liked it.  I am so boring!  I drove several other cars in the new car quest and I felt like Goldilocks.  Some were too big, some too small, some not substantial enough, some too expensive and some just didn't feel right.  When I drove the new version of my car, it felt like home.  I really tried to like one of the other cars.  I felt pressure to break out of my rut and change things up in my life.  We ended up with the same car, same color, just the new and improved version.  Loyal customer or unadventurous?  Let's just go with loyal.  I'll find adventure somewhere else, next year!

As the year ends, I wish you all a happy and healthy new year.  On today, the Feast of the Holy Family, I remember last year's post on this day.  It's as accurate today as it was then.  It really is all about family.   It doesn't matter what kind of phone you have or what kind of car you drive.

Momma Can't Be Sick

Momma can't be sick.  It's a rule of life!  Think about it....when the kids were young and Mom got sick, the world stopped!  Who takes care of the person who takes care of everyone else?  All I ever wanted when I got sick in those days was to be left alone in my room to sleep it off, and drugs...magic drugs that made me well in an hour.  Of course, there was the risk that nothing would happen in the house and everyone would go hungry when I got sick.  BUT....Mom definitely can't be sick at Christmas.  Who is going to do the shopping, the baking, the Christmas cards, the gift wrapping, the house decorating....and all those other things that make the season bright?  Believe me....it won't be Dad.

I have been sick since Thanksgiving.  I think I am living in a giant petri dish.  I got a cold, TJ got a cold.  I got well, he went out of town.  He came home with another cold and now I have a different cold.  It's like a science experiment.  Add to all the germs and snot flying around our house a man who had knee surgery and needs someone to take care of him.  It would have been much too convenient to get sick when nothing else was happening.  Today, I had to "man up" and take my box of tissues, my cold medicine and my Clara Barton hat at 5 a.m., go to the surgery center and be the "person" for TJ.  I could not be sick!  I did a good job of not being sick until later in the day at which point the germs won.  I will say, TJ was a good patient and the surgery was successful.  But boy does it stink when momma gets sick.  Like I said, it just needs to be a rule of life...Moms do not get sick.

In Golf....or Life

I've been playing a lot of golf lately and playing golf gives me time to think.  Thinking can lead to playing well or playing poorly depending on the thoughts.  For instance, thinking about what I have to do when I get home or what is going on that weekend or how LSU blew the Alabama game or the other two they lost or why those people in front of us are so slow does not lead to a good round of golf.  Thinking about how beautiful the weather is and playing the continuous loop of whatever awesome song is playing inside my head at the moment usually leads to a good round.  I love it when the weather is perfect, I'm in good company, I'm playing well and the pace of play is not too fast or too slow...it's like all the planets are aligned.  Then again there are some days when the weather is terrible or there are swarms of mosquitoes or gnats pestering me or the pace of play is painfully slow or I am playing like I have never played the game before and yet I keep playing.  Life is a lot like golf.  Some days are all sunshine and happiness and others go by slowly, things don't work out like you want, it rains, your clothes are too tight and you just can't do anything right.  But you keep playing!

One of those perfect days!

I have not read any of the books published about golf and life and what one teaches you about the other.  I know there are many out there and my thoughts probably aren't unique.  Maybe the reason there are so many books and quotes about golf and life is because the two really are very closely tied in teaching us similar lessons.  You don't even need to be a golfer to be able to appreciate them either, which is good because otherwise why would most of you even need to read any more of this post?

A few weeks ago I played in a tournament with someone I met that morning.  We were a team.  It isn't very often that you get to spend 4+ hours with someone you just met, working together for a common goal while enjoying the great outdoors.  It was a pleasure and a privilege.  Golf has introduced me to many of my "life after kids" friends and for that I am thankful.  My new friend and I ended up having the best score of the day over about 30 other teams, yes, I am bragging because never in a million years would I have expected to be able to say that when I woke up that morning!  Golf teaches you that anything can happen on any given day.

You could see some deer frolicking on the course.  These are two of
the over 15 or 20 we saw during a game this week!

There are some days I can play great (OK, "good" because I am still far from "great") and the better I play, the better I play...until I start thinking about it.  Once it gets "into my head" things start going south.  The same can be said of playing poorly, the worse I play the harder I try and the harder I try the worse I play until my head gets to the right place again.  Usually all I need to do is step back and calm down which is easier said than done sometimes. Golf is a mental game and so is life.  Your thoughts leak into your actions on and off the golf course.  It's just so hard to change that inner voice when things start going wrong and when things are going well it's hard to just be able to ride the tide without waiting for it to change.  Playing golf is definitely a good mental exercise which I think is just as important as the physical game.

 Sometimes you end up in a bad place on the golf course or in life, don't let it get you down.  You could dwell on your bad luck or just focus on the next shot/move.  You can't change the past, you are where you are, deal with it.  I am getting very good at this mantra.  If I end up in a bad situation (sand, water, tree) on the golf course I could moan and stress about it and figure the hole is a lost cause or I can calm down, take the next shot and move on from there, it's only one shot.  In life you can dwell on the negative or deal with it and move on.  When things are good, be sure to enjoy them and be thankful too!

Regardless of the score, have some fun!  Think about it, you are outside....playing!  Sometimes that may just be the best part of the game.  There is always something positive whether it is the score, the weather, the company, or small improvements and if there isn't, there is always gin....and tonic...or lunch (if you don't drink) in golf or life!