I work out of a home office and due to the nature of my business (consulting), have what my friends jokingly refer to as a ”flexible” work schedule. In addition, my home golf course (Gleneagles) is right in the neighborhood – about five minutes away. Because it’s a nine-hole course (with 18 tees), I can often zip over there, play nine, and be back in my office within 2 1/2 hours. I should also mention that most of my business travel involves driving to client sites, which means that my golf clubs are always at the ready.
As someone who plays golf primarily when opportunities present themselves, I’ve become accustomed to playing with a variety of people – frequently with strangers. Playing golf with people you don’t know is like going to a pot luck dinner where everyone is simply asked to bring a dish to share. You have no idea how well your companions play or if they’ll be “good company” for the 2-5 hours you’re about to spend together. The other day at Gleneagles, I was paired with a man in his mid-40s whom I didn’t know. In the midst of our round he uttered a phrase that I’ve heard countless times on the golf course from men his age (or thereabouts): “I’m not the golfer I used to be”. This almost always leads to a “mid-life crisis” type of lament about how much further he used to hit the ball, how much more accurate he used to be with his irons, or how he used to be a “dead-eye” putter when he was a younger man. More often than not, it’s laden with negativity, sorrow, or anguish. On the other hand, I rarely hear this from older guys. The ones I know are still competitive, but on a different level. In general, they’re just happy to be out playing and have become comfortable with how their golf games have changed/adapted.
In our youth-obsessed, performance-based culture, it’s unfortunate that “I’m not what I used to be” carries such negative connotations. I don’t consider myself special or unique – but I’ve chosen to take a different perspective on it. Yes, it’s true that I’m not what I once was…but that’s mostly a good thing! It means that I’ve grown, developed, and hopefully - have embraced change as an immutable aspect of life. Reflecting back on what I once was allows me to appreciate what I’ve now become and to consider with anticipation – where I might be headed.
I’ll be sharing more about this in my next post.
