Playing through

I am a big fan of the game of Golf. I love to watch it played well and I love to play. The best players in the world struggle to perfect what can never be perfected. I will never be as good at the game as I would like to be but I am not as bad as I've been.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to play many spectacular courses. Each time I step up to hit a tee shot I take in the beauty of what lies in front of me. When I finish a hole, I like to pause and look back towards the tee. The beauty of looking back on where you've been brings a beauty all its own.

One of the great things about the game is that it offers you a fresh start halfway through. No matter how bad you've played up to that point, "the back nine" holds a promise of redemption.

I am not sure exactly when I made the turn to play the back nine of life. Since I have never met anyone 122 years old I am guessing it was not yesterday. Life has been good so far. Despite an errant shot here and there I am still having fun. I cannot fix the bad shots I've made but I hope not to make the same mistakes again.

I have come to know (albeit late in the game) that in life we "make the turn" every day. Each day is an opportunity to start anew. For that matter, every minute of every hour is an opportunity to make a better shot. No matter how good or bad the last one played out, another shot awaits. You play the ball from where it lies and look to execute the next shot better.

I look out the bedroom window in the morning like I look off the first tee. I take in the beauty of what is in front of me and look forward to making a few good shots. At the end of the day, I replay success and failure.

I'll never be perfect so I don't even try to be. I just want to be better.