Friends of all ages
As an only child, I spent a lot of individual time with my parents growing up. I have always been comfortable around people older than me. A lot of my good friends are older than I am. There is a lot of wisdom and knowledge to be gained by those who come before us.
On the flip side, even though we hate to admit it, there is much to learn from those younger than ourselves. We need a balance in our lives to remain relevant. Old people who only hang around old people, remain old people. Young people who only hang around young people, seem to lack a lot of self-awareness.
We have a group of 8 to 12 of us that go to Pinehurst, NC every year on a 5-day golf trip. Current age range is 28 to 73 years old. We have been going for over 10 years in a row. My son, his best friend Jordan, and many of my favorite people go on this trip that we all look forward to and we begin the “smack talk” months in advance.
It is incredible how much we all enjoy each other. Everyone is an equal, there to enjoy golf, friendship, and trying to get a few bucks off of each other. It is one of my favorite things every year.
Someone told me a long time ago that a man only needs three things in life. Someone to love. Something to do. Something to look forward to. After all, we are simple creatures. But there is a lot of truth in this statement.
One of the beautiful things about the game of golf, is that you can play it with all ages of people. My Dad and I could go play golf together long after we were able to play basketball or tennis. The game brought us closer together. The same way it has for me and my son. It has also been a vehicle for him to get to know my friends in a much closer way. One of the best things about our Pinehurst trip is for Garret and Jordan to be around smart, quality men that take an interest in their lives. They have all become pseudo uncles and grandpas to the “boys.” It is a really cool thing.
When I was in graduate school at Ohio University, my dad asked me if I wanted to go to the beach with other students during spring break. This was never an option the previous four years because of cost, but he was able to make it happen that year. I said no. But, I would love to go on a golf trip with him and my two uncles, Tom and Gene. So that is what we did. The four of us went to Myrtle Beach and it was one of the best weeks of my life. I loved playing golf with those guys so much! Their absence is still a presence in my life. I miss those days, but I am so grateful to share sunny days on the course with my son and my dear friends of all ages.