The other day, Wednesday, October 21st, I got back from my 40th Golf trip with “the guys.” Although two of the members have changed over the years, Randy Breaden and I make this our 40th year doing this. The original group was Randy, Larry Ullery, Gary Zechar, and myself. We did that for I don’t know how many of those years, but Randy and I now have two other members who have joined our little troupe, Dale Ary and Greg White, are the new group.
Although Greg could not join us this year as he was taking care of Lyn, his companion, because she had double knee surgery, the three of us went to Greenville, South Carolina, for a four-day golf trip. We left on Saturday, the 17th, drove to Lexington, Kentucky, and played golf at another friend’s golf course, Lakeside, set up for us by Rob Ullery. We always try to break up the trip by playing somewhere, and Rob made that an easy choice because we like the course he works at a lot. After that short interlude, we drove straight to Greenville for our trip. I won’t bore you with the details, but we did play four really nice courses, had some good food and drinks, and mostly enjoyed the craziness that 3 friends come up with!
I don’t know what it is, but when we are playing golf, laughing at each other, and just enjoying the views, the course, and each other, there is no better time to be had. Golf trips, or any other kind of trip with friends, are unforgettable, for men or women. Yes, you enjoy trips with your significant other, but being with the guys, or girls, is different. There is more of a sense of letting go……there are things you can say and do that you just wouldn’t do with your wife or husband. Nothing really bad of course, just a little dumber and more off color, if you know what I mean! We make memories with our friends that, like us, we still talk about 40 years later.
I guess the real purpose of this column is to tell everyone to get out with friends, act a little crazy, and enjoy them. None of us will be around forever, and as I get older, I try to enjoy my life more. Friends and family are more important than ever to me now, and they make my life better. It takes older wisdom to see that. Benjamin Franklin was right when he said: “The problem with youth is it is wasted on the young!” How true that is.
So, as we get older, time with friends and family becomes more precious. Get out there! Do some trips, get-togethers, parties, dinners, whatever, just do it! Time is precious, and you want to enjoy people as much as you can. I am lucky to be married to a truly wonderful person, and today is our 50th Anniversary. I love her to death, and she’s allowed me to take these trips with the guys and encouraged it. The trips we took together really mean something to Rose and me too; now, as we look back, her trips with her sister and others mean more to her too. They just do.
I sit here pounding this keyboard like a monkey beating open coconuts; I grin and think about all the trips, the craziness, the places and things we have seen and done, and I realize it won’t last forever. But, while it does, and as long as we can, our little group will carry on with the trips……they make our life better and more complete. Heck, in the car on the way home we planned our spring trip already! (Looks like New Bern, North Carolina is next!) Anyway, get out and enjoy life. The way to do that is work hard, save, invest and plan for your future. I hope your future is as fun as mine has been and is going to continue to be, and I can’t wait for our next trip together…….I am sure it will be one of the all-time classics!……..like they all have been so far!
That’s the way I have seen it all………from the sidelines!
