13 Shades of Green

Mark Twain called Golf, a good walk spoiled. I love the guy. He was a big help growing up. His biting humour, almost arrogant and deviant, was a big influence and made me feel I am not alone. Deconstructing Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as a part of school assignments spoiled the fun of reading them, but then as he said... "Education consists mainly in what we have unlearned".

So its established that I really like him... but I disagree with him on golf. There's something about teeing off on the manicured grass that soothes my soul. Last week I had the opportunity to join my brother-in-law for an early morning round. As I trooped in with my golf set and everybody's cuppa of Starbucks, the landscape stretched out in front of me till the hills (the course is in the foothills of our local range) and I couldn't wait to start. The freshly watered grass was glistening in the morning sun. To my left I could see the valley below, where the shimmering streetlights were putting up a valiant fight to the descending sunlight. The sheer number of shades in green was fascinating... right from the young child-like spring green to the wise dark green on the leaves on the lower-end of those tall trees.

As we warmed up, the day was ripe with possibilities. The course stretched out... asking us to come explore. Where will my shots take me today? How will my choices of clubs turn out? Half-swing vs. full-blooded one? How many times will I hear that sweet sound... that moment when you hit the ball exactly where you wanted to and even before you lift your head to follow it, you know it went well. A smile spreads through your body and you forget the course, your score, the chatter of friends, the wind in your hair and the ache in your muscles. For that fleeting moment, you are one with yourself.

And then you move on.... chasing that one sweet shot for the rest of the day.