Fathers and fathers and sons

I am home for my week off and I am burning the time well. I have golfed with both my father and with my son. I have spent quality time with my wife. I have put several more hours into this year's garden. I have visited my Mom and I have hung out with my daughter. And the trips isn't even over! Golf is very important to me. I am not particularly good at it. It it is fun for me and so has importance. When I was working in BC and was able to gold 12 months of the year I started to understand this new swing known as the stack and tilt. I started to feel a lot of confidence that if I aimed a certain direction that the ball would go there. But when I came back to Ontario we were so broke that I simply didn't golf. Now it is a year later and I am trying to relearn all those things that I had forgotten. In fact the last time out less than 20% of my shots were anywhere near where I aimed. To make matters worse when I went to the range the other day it was again a deplorble approximation of what my golf skills had been. But that's just golf, isn't it? Sometimes your 'eureka' moments don't happen when they should. I had been at the driving range and nothing had worked! Now I was at my Dad's trying to explain what was happening with my swing when it hit me what I was doing wrong. I wasn't keeping the right leg straight when going into the back swing. It seemed strange that I would realize that all these hours later and at the same time that I was planning a golf date with my Dad for the next day. But it happened. I simply knew what I had forgotten and I knew I would play better the next day. I just knew it!! So we went up to Shelter Valley Pines together ready to try something that was both old and new. You see the course used to be a 9 hole job but was now an 18 hole course where the order had been adjusted. To call this course 'hilly' would be an understatement! You are either shooting up or down but never straight! Lots of fun and a good test. Naturally my dad who has been playing at least weekly for several years AND who goes to Myrtle Beach each spring for a 'tune up' was his usual self which is to say a good golfer. Better than me for sure. But on one of the par 5s I hit a 270 yard tee shot (wind and slope aided) and followed that with a 270 yards 3 hybrid shot that landed right on the green and ten feet from the hole. I was putting for eagle!!! But I missed and only birdied the hole. All good and a testament to having serendipitous 'a-ha!' moments away from the course! I was also fortunate to golf with my son over the time off as well. It is very different golfing with Jak then it is with my Dad. For starters Jak doesn't particularly like golf so we have to use special rules. They include but are not limited to: 1) any wedge can be used including the 'hand-wedge' and the 'foot-wedge'. These can be used at any time. 2) The 'no score' rule which means we keep NO SCORE! 3) the 'screw this!' rule which says that when faced with extreme adversity you can simply say: "Screw this" and walk to the next hole! 4) the 'have another drink' rule which says if you are ever caught taking yourself too seriously then you.can say 'screw this' and move to the next hole. It seems kind of crazy but it works. With these rules in place my son and I enjoy playing golf together far more often! I have done lots of other things this turn. I have had a really good time. But for sheer mileage I sure got lots done this time around. See you on the flip side... ;-)