FEAR OR FUN?

fear or fun

image courtesy of photobucket.com

“HA-HA-HA”!!!  “Boy,”-“You weren’t kidding about your game!” He said in a good-hearted manner in which us guys rib each other. “I told you”! Was my reply. I hadn’t swung a golf club in three or four years and although I’m somewhat athletic, I never had a natural gift when it came to playing golf.

I thought about one of the times playing golf when I was much younger with my dad. I didn’t really have a huge desire to play golf, we were just spending time together and he loved to golf.

One of those times we were paired up with two other people we didn’t know. One of the guys made a comment about the fact that I shouldn’t be on the course, but rather at the practice range and maybe taking a lesson.

I was at an age that, even though the words were given in honesty they weren’t appreciated. I knew how bad I was, but I didn’t say or do anything to the guy out of respect for my dad.

My dad spoke up and said something to the effect, “My son doesn’t care much for golf, he’s here keeping me company”!- “And I sure do enjoy it”! That quieted down Mr. Golf Advice Giver for the rest of our round.

In truth, while irritated at the time, I realized I was having an effect on the other guys games, even my dad’s usually stellar game suffered when I was around. I was a distraction, these guys wanted friendly competition. I actually felt a little bad for them after awhile.

Add another 15 years to that maturity level and this day I felt even more compassion for the guys I was golfing with.

It’s a special gift to get to play golf in one of the meccas of golf where I live in Scottsdale, it’s an even bigger gift to get to play in one of north Scottsdale”s prestigious private country clubs.

My friend I’ll call Brian belongs to one of these clubs and he’s a real golfer. I mean he golfs under par, OK! I was appreciative of his generous offers to golf over the years, but I warned him that I was really bad and that he probably wouldn’t have a great day with me hacking up the course.

He understood the day would be a less serious day, probably a few good laughs, but he wouldn’t expect much from me.

Taking me to a private country club is like walking a bull through a china shop with skinny aisles.

After a nice lunch on our way out to the golf carts, (my favorite part) one of the attendees whispered something to Brian. He approached me tilting his head to one side, “Hey-ahh” “Your gonna need to tuck in your shirt”… “You know, club rules”…

Being the sensible gentleman that I am I didn’t unzip my pants and do it right there, no – I did the gentlemanly thing and made my way to the bathroom to do so. After all, I’m not an animal…

The first few holes out as I was chasing my balls from one side of the course to the other and out into the desert I didn’t see the cart signs to know I was in forbidden cart territory.

Brian who looks like a chiseled mountain motions me over, “Hey, do me a favor and don’t drive past the cart signs” — “They’ll be all over my donkey”! (other name for donkey actually used) “Oh man,”! “I’m sorry, I didn’t even see em”! Even my other friend, I’ll call Tim said, “Yeah, they don’t appreciate driving up around the greens”…

A few days later I was telling some other friends about my golf outing and one of them said, “That’s not right, to embarrass you like that”! All I could say was, “I wasn’t embarrassed, I don’t expect to be great or even good at something I don’t work to be good at. I actually enjoyed it.”

I wonder how many people don’t do or say things they should because they’re afraid what someone might think of them? My opinion is if you’re scared of little things in life, you’re going be mortified in fear of the big things.

What beckons more respect, taking action in fear or fun and for what you believe in, or being passive, hiding in fear about everything in your life, big and small.

Fear is existing.

Action is living.

“Whom shall I fear”?