Lillian Lincoln Lambert

Those who know me well know that I am an avid golfer. That does not mean my game is impressive. I’d say it is “average” for someone who took up the game at age 46.  I will get up early and travel distances to play a round. Weather does, however, impact my decision to play. I will not go out in the rain and if it starts raining during a game, I will probably quit. Likewise, temperatures must be in the 50’s to entice me.

I am fortunately to be able to play golf year round. Spring and summers are spent in Virginia where I play in a league once a week and try to get in an extra day with my husband. During the fall and winter I am in Florida and play in a league with a second day of play most weeks.

Golf is not a game I ever thought I would play and certainly not enjoy. I used to think this had to be the dumbest game in the world! How could there be any enjoyment in hitting a little white ball until it finally gets into a hole. But once I started, I was intrigued by the challenge of the game. I do like a challenge!

As I progressed in learning the rules and etiquette of the game, I began to draw many parallels between the game of golf and the game of life.  In golf, your partner will sometimes give a mulligan (that is a second change to hit the ball after a bad shot). When that happens to me, I am grateful for being given a second chance to start my game on the right foot. So it is with life. Every day that I wake up in good health— a good frame of mind is a bonus—I see it as God’s way of giving me a second chance to improve the life that has been given to me.

However, a second chance, in both life and golf, comes with no guarantees. We may get it right, or we may get it wrong. In both cases, it’s up to us to stay focused on the goal of continuously improving ourselves and taking responsibility for the outcome. In the end, the game of life and the game of golf are a competition with oneself. In golf, it’s futile to blame the weather, the ball, the terrain, or the people we play with for a bad round. In life, it does us no good to blame others when things don’t turn out the way we want. Although we might not master every day or win every game, the key is to see each one as another chance to improve our game or our life.

As the temperature soared to 104 degrees in Richmond, VA today, I headed south hoping for cooler weather. My destination: Ft Walton Beach, FL. As I checked the weather before leaving it was a bit shocking to discover that FL is cooler than VA! A friend from Sarasota sent me an email saying “it is WAY hotter up there than down here”. I head to Sarasota next week.

I am now sitting in the airport in Charlotte, NC awaiting my 5:50PM flight to Ft. Walton Beach, which is near Pensacola. My travels have no taken me to that part of FL so I look forward to the trip with great anticipation even though my stay will be short. . I will be in the company of lawyers and judges tomorrow as I give the keynote address at the Women’s Luncheon for the Mississippi Bar Association. I am excited about this opportunity. 

It is nice and cool in this quiet airport, unlike many where I wait between flights. My computer and the passing travelers make the time pass quickly. The sights are interesting, a real fashion show. Will report back on my visit.