And The Envelope Please…

Paris, Illinois

August 23, 2021

After a long dry spell of not visiting a Paris, it sure is wonderful to visit so many — in large part because of these envelopes from Nicole, Bruce and the First Tee kids.

Such an important lesson that I continue to learn. Somewhere along the way, we each need to grasp that defeat and failure are part of life. We get to choose how we respond to them. If we internalize them, we are headed toward trouble. I know. Perhaps the greatest gift we can give youngsters is the skill of resilience. I guess actually we don’t give that to them. We help them cultivate that skill. Golf is a great vehicle to do that since there’s a lot of “failure” in golf. I know that, too.

Whoa. I may need to extend my trip even further than I thought! What a great list of questions. I know what I’ll be thinking about as I walkabout this week!!

Nicole caught me checking my shoelaces. 🤪. I guess we all walk with our head down sometimes. I do it a whole lot less now. I try to keep my “head on a swivel” to take in my surroundings. As importantly I use my walks as a chance to smile, nod or wave at others. I know some folks think I am invading their space; but I prefer to think that more often I am encouraging others to “have what I’m having.” Life’s too short to give off negative vibes. I learned that.

Smile, man. It’s all good. Even as the Red Sox choke.

Quinn is a heckuva kid. Good looking, well spoken, great manner, fluid golf swing. But he’s a Notre Dame fan. We would trade barbs during First Tee. It’s awesome when a kid has the confidence to dish it out to an old guy. Unfortunately, he usually had a W over UVa to brag about. Made me smile to read this note from him.