New Year's resolution: Golf

(by 'Jacob' Dong-il Shin)

Now that the holiday party season is over, and many of us are vowing never to do anything like that again, here is my idea for a New Year’s resolution: I will play golf.

Golf? I often thought I’d rather read a book or movie. To me, golf’s a waste of good pasture. In Korea, I thought what people are suggesting in golf is not within my budget. However, I may afford the superficial extravagances if I just go out sometimes to enjoy and still focus on what I am pursuing in my life. My friends who enjoy golf are not considerably better off financially.

In the past, I didn’t allow myself to take seemingly time-consuming activities for my free time, like golfing. Since I have been always obsessed with hard-working mentality in my workplaces, I didn’t know how to just take a walk, stop and have a smile, have another coffee, and continue to waste my time uselessly. I just quite often encouraged myself to work all the time. That is the way I managed my life, for the last 10-15 years something.

So my hope for golf is that golf makes me slow down my life, and it gives me a wonderful excuse to be far away from my writing desk. I don’t have to be fast to be a decent player there in a golf field.

Golf is hitting and sinking a small ball, with the fewest strokes, into a sequence of holes on an obstacle-ridden course. The rule of game looks like quite stressful, and the lure of the game? Well, I don’t know yet. I am not sure golf is my type of game, and that I’ll beat the marvelous and crazy game in my rest of life. I played golf for one semester when I was a graduate student at UIUC. At that time, I much more liked basketball or tennis, but as I get older, I stopped playing most of the other sports that I had enjoyed. I think I am ready for the lazy and crazy game at my age.

At this point, I don’t care the handicaps of mine will remain quite unchanged even with much practice. I don’t care about the equipment. I am going to buy used golf clubs.

JOKES?
(source: http://humorvault.tripod.com/golfjoke/golf_12.html)

Two men were playing a round of golf one day. Just as they were about to start one of the holes, a funeral procession went by on the road beside the course. One of the golfers, Clyde, takes off his cap and stands with his cap to his chest, and waits for the entire procession to go by. He then puts his cap back on and proceeds to tee off. "Gee Clyde, that was a very nice gesture on your part. It was very thoughtful and respectful of you to do that," his friend said. "Well," Clyde replied, "I was married to her for 30 years, it was the least that I could do." From this we can deduce that, over the course of a lifetime, golf might outlast a spouse, something in the nature of a faithful Companion

QUOTES?

“The man who takes up golf to get his mind off his work soon takes up work to get his mind off golf.” (Is it in the nature of an obsession? An addiction? That would explain a lot.)

New Year's Eve

(by 'Jacob' Dong-il Shin)

I am fine with getting old. I like to be home even in New Year’s Eve, like before 9 p.m. Some years earlier, I remember that in the end (and beginning) of the year I dressed up, being over-served and woke up the next morning feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck. I met friends for an adult beverage and I may have already had my life’s share of alcohol in the holiday season. Now I have lost its appeal. I haven’t had any of the above for a few years now. Now a cup of regular coffee, preferably strong one at a well-known coffee house, is sufficient.

I know people hate getting old, and they go out in New Year’s Eve to have fun memory. They often have a good time getting drunken and stupid, and I know all the fun things around that night. I had been there when I was young! I mean, I don’t want to be judgmental of others here, if they hang out to enjoy themselves and, of course, have a designated driver with some drinks.

I just want to say I am happy to get old. Being outside in winter has never had any appeal for me. I am happy to be home when people are jammed into the space of the street, like Myung-dong. Because I hate winter season. My feet and hands are cold, and all of me is cold. Watching people outside is enough to keep me warm. Happy New Year! Here is hoping new year is older and lazier than before.