As much as I love golf, it doesn't seem to love me in return. I've been at this game now for nearly 20 years, and have yet to break 100 (my career best did bring me within 2 strokes of a sub-100 round, but that was most certainly a fluke). I tried it again today with my old set of clubs -- and by old, I mean I think they date back to the Eisenhower Administration. Friends have told me my game will improve if I invest in a new and better set of clubs, but I grew up with an innate ability to be incredibly stubborn -- and I'm determined not to switch clubs until I break 100.
And therein lies the paradox: breaking 100 will require a new set of clubs, but I won't get a new set of clubs until the barrier is broken. It's thinking like this that really amazes me to no end that my family has such boundless patience with me.
It's funny that I can see certain of my traits (like my ability to be stubborn) already in my child: a similar stubborn streak; the desire to be incredibly organized and have everything just so; a really lousy attitude first thing in the morning (I think both of us would prefer to sleep until noon each day if we could); and a big desire to maintain total control of the television remote.
I have to wonder if my wife feels ganged up on by the two of us. Truthfully, if I have to battle my wife over my eccentricities, I can't think of a better teammate than my little one!!
2 comments:
I remember a cartoon from long ago of a guy standing in what appears to be a ditch. He comments: I can't remember if I'm in the groove or just in a rut. Life is full of sameness - to the point of being in a rut - AND you can get very stubborn when something interferes with your "rut" - your organizational efforts, your eccentricities.
There is a big difference between being stubborn about the old and familiar and being stubborn about something new in your life. It sounds like there is something great going on in your life and you are trying to get everything focused. In that case it's all right to be stubborn.
To get something new done you have to be stubborn and focused, to the point where it might seem unreasonable. But at another point in your quest, you may find that you have to be flexible and make changes. The hard part, of course, is knowing when to be stubborn and when to be flexible.
You will, of course, make mistakes in your journey. God knows I have and will continue to make them no doubt. But that's the way of a journey - mistakes will happen. You can't change the past - you make amends when you can, but you can't dwell there in the past. That would be a real RUT. Life is too short to be stuck in a rut - or a groove for that matter.
The fortunate part of all of this is that you are not alone in your quest. There are others right there with you, praying for you, supporting you, loving you. I will always be proud of you no matter which "groove" you decide to follow - and I will always love you no matter what. That's what Dads do, right?
The following has nothing to do with your post ... but I've enjoyed what I've read so far.
I found your blog link from your posting to SpareOom and thought I'd stop by and welcome you to the pool. I think you'll find blogging to be a useful exercise.
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