Golf and other interesting pastimes

Over the last sixteen years or so, I have embarked every summer on a golf journey with some of my friends. The core of the group has been doing the summer trip for over 35 years, so I am a relative newcomer. I enjoy the time with my friends for a week of golf, fun and relaxation.

Over the years the size of the group and the membership of the group has varied from 4 to abut 18, and the issues we discuss, debate, and resolve or solve have changed over the years. None of the issues we discuss resolve around current politics, religion, or other pressing issues in the news.  We talk about old friends,  family, new friends, relationships, and most importantly how our golf game went that day. The day to day politic of life is swept away in a river of fun and friendship.

After the trip, it takes a while to recover from the golf and I do not think about playing golf again for about three weeks. However, when we are on the course, we take the time to face the latest golf challenges and focus on being with good friends, trying to best oneself and enjoying the wind, sun and scenery.

Every year when I return from my trip, I keep busy catching up on my work around the house and my reading--not the readings I have to do for the workshops I give but reading for pleasure. Once I retired I rediscovered my love of reading that I had as young.

When I was a pre-teen and young teen, we went to town once a week to get groceries and other supplies but we always stopped at the regional library and I remember loading up with books, (science fiction, history, and mysteries were my reading pleasure of the day). I still recall the excitement opening a new book and staying up late to finish the latest chapter/or book.

Reading for pleasure was a highlight of my life for many years, but as I grew older and became more focused on work, I lost the pleasure that reading brought to me. I enjoy the break that being on the golf tour brings and the weeks after that allow me to catch up on my latest books and renew my love of reading.