Good Sunday all. Gommy's Blog Title is really from a song, "Give Me That Old Time Religion" and the next part is, "It's good Enough For Me." That is how Gommy feels about the old times in quite a few respects.
Watching the British Open today, a commercial came on about the organization First Tee. It was saying how golf can help teach young kids about qualities that lay the foundation for good character as they mature.
The more Gommy got to thinking about it.....the more that made sense. Now, Goms is by no means a golfer....but I live with one who is about as straight an arrow as you'll ever find. And he (Grandpa Mike) has been involved with golf since he was a kid too. Maybe some of the fundamentals of golf helped mold Grandpa's value system.
Take the part of golf that requires perseverance. You must never give up in a game of golf because your very next shot could change the whole outcome of the match. Just as your opponents next bad shot can put them behind and give you the chance to catch up. In life, the next corner you go around could be the big chance encounter you've been hoping for to make it big. Or if you keep believing in your dream of 'whatever', it could eventually happen for you and in contrast, if you give up...it can never come true for you.
Now stay with Goms here......you may not even like the game of golf, but imagine that Goms is just giving out some pointers on how to improve your life. The next part of the game of golf involves respect. You must show respect for your fellow teammates or opponents in the game of golf (life). Without respect, we won't get very far in either. If we don't show respect for others, how can they show us any in return? Reap and sow...remember?
You also have to be courteous when playing golf. Just as a reminder....each time Gommy references golf, put in the reference to life also. A courteous golfer would never step in the line of another golfer's putt. They wouldn't do that because it might put a mark where the line of the ball would go and that wouldn't be sportsman-like. They would never talk when another player is getting ready to hit. They tell the other player 'good shot/putt' when they have a good hit. The same goes for being courteous in life. We should never butt in line when a group of people are politely waiting their turn. We should congratulate someone for a job well done. We should not butt into other peoples conversations and/or business. Are we seeing a pattern here boys and girls?
The respect part comes in when you finish the match and even if you lose, you shake the other players hand and tell them they did a great job and you enjoyed playing with them. Now this could be the biggest prize money you will ever win and sometimes it comes down to a half a million dollars between first and second place, but you still practice good sportsmanship and congratulate your opponent. You would want the other person to congratulate you if you won wouldn't you? Come on....Gommy knows you would! There....that's better ;-]]
Self-respect comes into play in golf/life too. How many times have we seen a golfer or another sports figure throw their equipment when they have a bad hit or play? One time is too many if you ask Gommy. Who are they getting mad at anyway? They are the ones who did the mistake. It is 'their bad' as the kids of today say. So get over yourself. Acting a fool is only reinforcing that you are, in fact, a fool.
So boys and Girls......are we beginning to see that the game of golf really is much like the game of life? If we play it correctly, we act with civility (after all, the last time Gommy checked, we did still live in a 'civilization'). And we can go far with the values we have taken away from perseverance, respect and courtesy. These are values that have seemed to disappear lately in the world. People are too quick to be loud mouths, defame others, not respect themselves or anyone very much and quite often, they butt their noses into everyone elses' business, lives and politics and make fun of the less fortunate. It was a much more polite society back in the day...a long, long time ago in a far away....or no, that was a movie.......when people actually were polite and cared more about how they conducted their own lives. It's hard to manage your own "stuff" properly when you are trying to tend to everyone elses stuff!
So, Gommy just wants to say that I'll take the old times any day....when people were more polite, courteous, had values, had self-respect and minded their own business because..........That's Good Enough For Me!!! Have a splendiferous week boys and girls. Gommy is pulling for you.
Hugs & Mush, ((-.-))
