The Games People Play...Literally

Lets just get this out of the way right now...I cannot play games in life or on a playing field. I do not play cards or golf or even word games unless I am coerced into it. Oh you can coerce me but it will not make me happy.

Playing is entirely different...I love to play at golf or, back in the day, even tennis. Playing at something is just fun. Reality is suspended for a piece of time and a person can pretend to be good at something or other.

So the fascination with games and the people that play them both seriously and in life is interesting.

Take the game of golf for example. Golf is a sport where the word "cheating" some easily to people's lips. There are no "mistakes" or "misunderstandings". Certainly no second chances. But cheater is attached to those people who made a mistake or are new to the game and just don't understand how it goes. The tag will follow them around for a very long time. Don't play that game unless you are clear about what and what not to do.

The society of golfers is made up of some very conservative people that hate socialism. And yet, in spite of what they believe, the game they love is a socialist game. Everyone is equal and are rewarded for not being good with a "handicap", a number of points given as a gift. They play a game and then subtract the "bonus" points from their score so their score will be lower. Everyone gets a chance to succeed even if they have never succeeded at any game in their life.

This point system is calculated on what you score in the immediate weeks before competition and those real cheaters will play badly so the people that calculate how may bonus points they get will give them extra points so they will be equal with the people they compete against. Those people are called "sandbaggers" for reasons I cannot explain. That is why keeping score for those previous rounds is supposed to be witnessed. In this case, it is very hard the catch a cheater.

Plus, the way you win is by scoring the fewest points...unlike basketball or football, you win when you get a very low score. Odd huh?

People that are very good at the game hate the handicap (bonus point) system. Those golfers that get a lot of handicap points to subtract from their score really can and do win. That just irritates the heck out of a skilled player. It is as though the less skilled player has cheated. My late husband can home after every round talking about those darn "high handicappers".

Playing at golf is frowned upon by serious golfers. Picking up your ball before it is in the hole or dropping an extra ball to practice is taboo. Even when you are not competing. And if someone get mad at you for making a mistake, you will be in bad trouble out in the real world too. Trust me I know this for a fact...it has happened to me. You remember I am not capable of playing golf right...and believe me I have tried. Sigh.

But back to playing at the game. I love to "play" a round of pretend golf. My husband and I used to travel around our country and have stopped in a Nebraska cornfield hiding a golf course. We would play with alligators and under palm trees. We pushed our rental cart up hills in Mexico and laughed about our poor play. We played at the game of life each of every day. It was just simple good fun.

In life, it seems to me that we have used the word "cheater" way too much. It is tossed around like a bean bag filled with nails. Having fun at Corn Hole or tennis or even golf is so important. Real life can be serious and is filled with important tasks. But a game...I don't think so.

And don't get me started on the game of football...2 inches to a first down when referees have been putting that ball down in the wrong place for 4 plays? Really!

Any thoughts?

Five Little Ducks...stories played out!

The children's song about the little ducks leaving the nest to fly away has always been one of my favorites. Every mother has seen their babies fly away and rejoiced. Life comes full circle. Animals live that same cycle. Babies grow up. Birds leave the nest. Life goes on. So when the three ducks show up every year near my patio I am not surprised. But I am puzzled that it always seems to be the same three. Something just doesn't seem right. It appears the one did not fly away at all. Five little ducks Went out to play Over the hills and far away. The mommy duck went "quack, quack quack," Four little ducks came swimming back... And then Three Two and One. A drake, a female duck (a hen) and a not quite a drake but still not a hen gather here on the 5th green of the golf course. She leads and the other two follow along obediently. They eat, sleep, and guard each other. Each and every day this time of year they come. I have not named them. Jinxing them would be very pos...

How to be a 12 Month Snow Bird

Vacation Rental in Mexico I live around snowbirds 6 months of the year. I have heard those people say that they all want to live the "snowbird" lifestyle when they go home. But it just is not possible. They are isolated and cold. Social activities with friends and beautiful weather are greatly missed when they return to the realities of their "real" life. One couple I visited with lately returned to Florida this morning where they own a home. The woman is a nurse and works in the summer. They are not going home until May this year. It is too cold in Michigan in the spring so they are hoping to extend their good weather season by simply staying away. Besides that they love their Florida lifestyle a lot. Last week I visited with a woman that lives the snowbird lifestyle year around. No going home to the Midwest in the spring. They essentially vacation 12 month out of the year. And I thought their solution for avoiding unpleasant weather and keeping their lifestyle in...

If You Build It, They Will Come...Maybe!

It all began with a antique window in front of a local shop. It had been painted yellow, the glass was loose and all of the hinges and latches were gone. My old friend Betty would have approved...she would tell me it was just broken enough and damaged enough for me to drag it home. When my dear husband saw it, he wondered what he was meant to do with it. Imagine his surprise when he was presented with the plan to build a small neighborhood library exchange. It wasn't the first time he had heard me ask "How hard could it be?" Now it is six weeks later and we mounted the darling little library exchange on two posts in our front yard. I love it. Now the question is, will they come or has the time passed when people actually read something made of paper? Our association president stopped by and admired the box but left after telling me that he only read books on his Kindle. We will see. Would you bring a book and take a book? b+

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