Three decades is a long time. That is how long I have been at my Club.
Lately I have been thinking about the early days when I was finding my way through the Club. I left and went to a rival Club for 12 years and been here for the last 33 years. Time slips away in a manner that you really do not notice. Over the years the outside changes, but on the inside you still feel the same things. The drive, the will to get better, always moving toward your ultimate goal whatever it maybe. In my case it was to be the best competitor. The feeling of being the best only lasts a couple of hours or if you are fortunate a day. The feeling of getting to a place where not many get to is unique. I like to see good people get to that place whether it be golf, hockey, soccer, or business. What pisses me off is when others act like they earned it. Maybe some day I will let go of it but don’t hold your breath.
Over three decades I have played with a lot of guys. Details get fuzzy along the way, but the people you meet along the way always stay with you whether it is good or bad. Right now I am trying to compartmentalize them. Putting them in a box so to speak. My hope is that some of them I can’t stop thinking about are the one’s who have caused me angst and think more about the one’s who have made me a better person.
Over the last few years I have lost friends, others have had close calls. Moving forward from these events is hard ,at least for me it is. It makes you think about a lot things.
One of the things I think about is why as you get older why do people stop listening to you? It is as if someone has pressed the mute button. Being heard releases something great in the human condition. It unlocks a belief that people matter and when people matter extraordinary things can happen.
Old guys like myself and a couple of friends have done a lot of living and with living comes experience, and the definition of experience is ” mistakes made and learned from”. I have learned a lot from my friends.
One question that has not been answered is this.
Why do dogs only have a first name?
Until next time!
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Between The Ears 