staying in the moment

In a recent post, I included a quote from the film “A River Runs Through It”. My reflections on the movie led me to read Norman Maclean’s book of the same name. In the book, Maclean uses fly fishing as a metaphorical thread of continuity for his story. In the midst of describing his experiences fishing, he interweaves profound reflections and insights on life and relationships. As narrator, his conclusion to the story includes this quote: ”Of course, now I am too old to be much of a fisherman, and now of course I usually fish the big waters alone, although some friends think I shouldn’t…[but there, while fishing in the cool of the evening] all existence fades to a being with my soul.”

I understand it may seem trite and incomprehensible to some of you, but by substituting a few words, we get an excellent description of why I play golf. When I’m playing, I become so physically and mentally engaged that all other “existence” fades away and it’s just me, the ball, and the next shot I have to play. In golf, we call it “staying in the moment” and for a player at my level, it happens 80-90 times over a period of about 4 hours. Each “moment” ends when the shot or putt (stroke) is played. Whatever the outcome, the ideal we strive for is to let any joy, anger or disappointment about the stroke we just played pass immediately out of us. Once this occurs, we socially reengage our playing partners and move on to the next shot where the cycle is repeated. Over time, I’ve come to understand that becoming proficient at ”staying in the moment” requires significant mental and physical discipline that carries over into other aspects of my life.   

When I’m in the proper “state”, this zen-like aspect of golf wipes my mental and emotional slate clean. The issues and challenges of life outside the golf course don’t go away – it’s that I return to them feeling renewed. This is particularly the case when I play in beautiful places like the courses pictured above. On the other hand, we shouldn’t get too carried away with this concept because I’m not talking about true spiritual refreshment and renewal, which comes through other means. Nevertheless, I have at times, experienced some correlation between the two.

Over the years, I’ve come to know many other golfers who, like me, enjoy the “big waters” – the more difficult and challenging golf courses. In fact, I’ve found that my level of focus (and to some extent enjoyment) generally increases with the course’s level of difficulty and when my fellow players share the same golfing “philosophy”. It’s not that I am – as my wife says – a “golf snob”. I enjoy playing with friends on easier courses, but I see those times as primarly social. Under such circumstances, I don’t feel any need to concern myself with the “disciplines” I’ve just described.