My last few rounds of golf was not pretty.  I’ve been in a bit of a rut lately. You know when your buddies tell you to pick up a three foot putt, they can feel your pain. They know. Why? Because THEY like most golfers have been there before. When we hear professional golfers refer to golf as ‘ a tough game.’   They also know that the game can be feast or famine. But watching this malnourished golfer struggling was perhaps like watching a wounded bird (what a visual paradox), and wondering if it will ever fly again, or possibly get eaten.

As I stood there admiring the great shots my partners were hitting I realized that I really like playing with these guys. We keep each other encouraged. We laugh at one another, laugh at ourselves. Of course, we want to play well, but we’re not hot shot competitors. That’s what keeps me coming back, not just the golf but the whole experience; the camaraderie, the beauty of the course, being outdoors and taking in the splendor of nature.

One of my closest friends (Reggie) plays golf but he hasn’t actually played in years. He bought an OCCULUS and decided he wanted to play golf. He explained to me that, like chess, it is possible to play against people in other states even other countries. Something I knew nothing about.

This one particular day he played against a guy who whipped him like Mike Tyson. He told me that the guy seemed a little perturbed that he wasn’t any competition. The guy told him to next time check out the person’s handicap before hand. In other words, STAY IN YOUR OWN LANE.  DON’T COME OUT HERE AND TRY TO HANG OUT WITH THE BIG BOYS AND GIRLS!

I couldn’t help but feel his pain as he licked his wounds. ” Hey, doesn’t this guy know that we all had to start somewhere.” I told him. Then I thought about it, maybe he had a point. Perhaps, next time he should check. It can be a bit discouraging to be out of your league. Some of us are what I consider late bloomers. I didn’t even hold a golf club in my hands until just about my mid-thirties, which was when I was introduced to this game.

It’s been an enjoyable ride, a lot of ups and downs but more ups than downs. But overall I count my blessings; at least I’m physically able to swing a golf club. There are some people who, perhaps, used to play but can’t anymore due to physical limitations. However, there are some who defy the odds. Why? Because they love the game too. And like me, they realize that the real competition is within one’s own self. My aim is always to get better but not at the expense of having a good time.

When I was a ranger at Delaware park golf course (a municipal golf course located in Buffalo, N.Y.),  I used to see a guy playing with one arm. He was right handed and had no left arm (no prosthetic). Guess what? Every time I watched him hit the ball,  it went straight as an arrow. He had such a smooth swing. Okay, I’ll come out and admit it-I was a little jealous.

So, if we are struggling with our game, have NO FEAR, it will come back eventually.  As it has been put, ‘PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE.’  We’ll never improve if we aren’t patient with ourselves. It’s a process. Put in the time. Practice the right techniques. Then trust the process.

One thing I do know is that whatever your handicap -there is always room for improvement and even professional golfers have to sometimes exercise patience. Why? Because they (like the rest of us)  have no other choice.

UNTI NEXT TIME. STAY FOCUSED, BE WELL. AND LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!

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DID I DO THAT?

Believe me, I have mimicked (quite a few times), Steve Urkel, the annoying but lovable character played by Jaleel White on the long-running late ’80s sitcom, Family Matters.

DID I DO THAT?

As if I couldn’t believe it (the truth is I couldn’t) but why shouldn’t I believe it. It happened, didn’t it. Of course it did. I have to belief it. Why? Because I did it. I hit a fantastic shot. So bring on the fist bumps and the high-fives. I’ll take it. And yes, thank-you. I’ll take my bow, for now.

When I think about, I’ve come a long way. I remember my humble beginnings; if you wanted a hole dug, just give me a pitching wedge and place a golf ball on the ground. I would swing, digging up a lot of dirt and grass, and the ball would still be laying there. It looked like someone came through with a backhoe.

Then I was told to keep my head down, keep looking at the ball until I hit it. So, I kept my head down ( praying the whole time) and I eventually connected and the ball finally left the ground and flew. I also took lessons. The more I practiced and played my game improved little by little.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

Like anything else in life, nothing is handed to you. Why would it be any different in golf? I know I have to put in the work if I expect to get better. But being too hard on myself can be self defeating. I have to REMEMBER TO THINK POSITIVE AND RELAX.  Don’t over think and have confidence.

If I own my bad shots, well then, I certainly must accept and own the good ones as well.  When I hit a good shot, I hit a good shot. Even if it’s not a good looking shot; whereby the ball doesn’t fly in the air but crawls through the grass (what’s typically called a worm burner) up to the hole like a centipede. Great!  I’ll take. Skill? Luck? Who cares at this point. Pride takes a back seat. I’m interested in results.

When we put in the practice to get better, we should expect to be better; shifting from the unbelieving question, “DID I DO THAT?” to the more soul satisfying, “I DID THAT! “

UNTIL NEXT TIME.

PEACE, LOVE AND LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE.

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Although GOLF can be both challenging and fun; there is one word that golfers hate to hear or yell themselves and that’s the dreaded word “FORE.” In case you’re reading this and you’re not familiar with the word; the wikipedia definition relates it to be “an exclamation called out as a warning to people in the path of a golf ball.” As much as I care to admit, an exclamation which I have yelled out a few times over the years.

FORE!!!  WHAT!!!  Have you ever wondered, why?  Why did you even bother to come out to play.  Well, so have I.   And no one wants to hear you deflect how bad you’re playing by mentioning how great you played a few days ago. They don’t want to hear it. They don’t care. What matters is how you’re playing now.

So, a bit of advice… if you ever golf by yourself and you make all those fantastic shots; 30 or 40 foot putts for a birdie, 40 yard chip shots that land 2-3inches from the hole and drives that launch straight as an arrow, into infinity, you might want to just enjoy and appreciate the round yourself.  I know you’re proud of your unwitnessed accomplishments but why bother telling any of your friends? Their not going to believe you anyway.

So. I’m still wondering ‘WHY’?  Why am I out here? Why did I bother to show up? Nothing is going right. I’m all over the place. I’m playing military golf, hitting the ball left then right then left then right. I know how to march. I was in the Marines. I just don’t want to do it on a golf course.

” I suck at this game! ” I say in frustration. ” Take it easy my man. You have to trust your swing. It’s a process. You have to take the good with the bad. See the positive. Even a broke clock is right twice a day. ” My friend Shawn said cool yet reassuringly. We both laughed. True words of wisdom.

I realized he’s right. If you start beating yourself up, you’ll dig yourself an even deeper hole. RELAX, STAY POSITIVE, TRUST,  BELIEVE.  I now know that when I remember those words and absorb them into my mind and heart it will lead to better outcomes.

Since, as I heard it put, ‘Repetition is the Mother of Mastery’,  so it is with patience and practice (and a swing coach) my swing and confidence is improving and my clock is back moving. I know that I have to continually invest the time it takes to keep it MOV…ING  in the right direction.

As we have said, the DPL applauds golfers of all ages.  KEEP EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE.  

Until next time…PEACE, LOVE AND KEEP LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE!

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PHOTO BY LUCIE LIZ

The above photo is a picture of a golf green; commonly referred to (by some golfers) as the ‘DANCE  FLOOR’.  The ultimate goal is to eventually end up on the dance floor in order to putt the ball into the hole. The length of time it takes to get to the dance floor is determined on a person’s level of skill.  If you a more experienced player, it usually doesn’t take as long to get to the GREEN.  However, the rub is that there are so many things to navigate, both internally and externally,  just to get to the dance floor.

When I was a lot younger, single and going to clubs dancing was a way to meet women. The dance floor was an ice breaker. I also learned a valuable lesson in life, sometimes you have to hear a lot of no’s before you hear a ‘yes.’  So even if I don’t do as well as I expected, there are always some great shots I can put into my memory bank.

Most writers (poets) have a treasure chest of metaphors waiting to be used like different colors to an artist or various spices to a chef. So when I first heard of the comparison of a GOLF green to a dance floor, it made sense. I finally arrived at my destination. I’m in the club and it’s time for a few dance moves, however; this time the putter is my partner. Eventually, all golfers make it to the dance floor.  If you putt well, you’re a good dancer. But if you don’t there is always a chance for redemption on the next hole.

Okay. I’ll just come right out with it. I have a confession to make. I’m having an affair. I’m a little embarrassed to put my business out there. When I’m not with her I’m thinking about her. My wife knows about it. In fact, she knew long before I made the confession. She doesn’t mind the affair. She encourages me. She’s good with the relationship as long as I keep things in perspective.

You may have guessed who I’m having an affair with…your guess is right…GOLF.

Golf is my passion. I love the game. I just wish I wasn’t so obsessed with it. But I can’t help it. I play a lot of golf (not as much as I’d like to), watch a lot of the golf channel (watching different tournaments and lessons from the pros), I have a good swing coach (Mr. Horn) who is a phenomenal person. I’ve learned a lot from him.  I go to the driving range about 2-3 times a week, have a subscription to GOLF DIGEST.  I have written poetry about the sport and even wrote a bluesy song about my golf journey.

Sometimes I feel I’m in a ‘she loves me, she loves me not’ relationship. Then I realize that she loves me when I do the right thing. When I relax, don’t try too hard, trust and have confidence in myself ; she will usually  meet me where I’m at.  And when that happens…what a feeling of joy.   I FEEL LIKE DANCING.

Until next time. PEACE, LOVE  AND LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!

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We are sure you have heard of the phrase, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ So, does that mean one word is worth one thousandth of a picture. Perhaps. If the journey of walking a mile begins with the first step; then writing one thousand words begins with the first one.

photo by Pixabay

Now this may sound absurd but the only goal we really want to achieve with this blog is to write ONE THOUSAND WORDS.  That’s it. We don’t really want to teach you  anything. We don’t want to educate you. We just want you to read further.  Sounds rather selfish, doesn’t it? But if you read this without having any expectations, then you just might get something out of it. What? Only you will know.  So let’s see where this journey takes us.

Many years ago, when I was in my mid-twenties, I was a member of an improvisation performance group called, the Improv Poets. The founder of the group was a rather eccentric, cosmic and lovely woman named Ludmilla.  Ludmilla had acted in an off Broadway play when she was younger (she was twenty or so years older than us) with the legendary actress Claudette Colbert. She actually had a picture of the two of them rehearsing a scene.

If there was ever someone who was an example of RAW,  ‘in your face’ creativity, Ludmilla was it. We took our raw improvisation performances to many different venues including bars. Basically, any place that would accommodate us. It was Ludmilla’s idea that we rip pages from a thesaurus and arbitrarily hand them to members of the audience. Whoever she picked was allowed to pick any word off of the page. Then we would perform based off of that word.

I Don’t mean to sound like a ‘Trekey’, but these performances took me to places I had never gone before.  We fed off of each other’s energy. I would spout off  words, any words that came to mind, while another members (one guy was an actor) would act out as if we were doing a play and Ludmilla would dance. She had the build of a little ballerina. One of the things I found most amazing was how she would just stop dancing and stood still like a mummy for minutes at a time. And this was even before striking a pose was in ‘VOGUE’.

When the audience applauded at the end, I wasn’t quite sure if they actually liked it or just appreciated the fact that we had the guts to do something like that-especially IN FRONT OF PEOPLE. Either way, when I heard them clapping, it was enough for me, my prayers were answered.

Half way there already. My how time flies.

Getting back to Ludmilla. This petite woman (who was originally from Ukraine) was not only fascinating to me but she also had a commanding presence.  Her accent never completely left her and when she spoke she elongated her vowels in such a way that every word would linger in the air as if in a bubble. She taught us how to also use silence and stillness as part of the performance. It wasn’t necessary to move and talk all the time; you can still make a statement.  She taught us that sometimes less is more. One time I summoned enough courage to ask her, “how can you stand there and do nothing for so long?”  “Oh but I am doing something-I’M BREATHING.”

Like in the movie, Forest Gump, ” life is a box of chocolate. You never know what you’re going to get.”  The DPL is like a box of chocolate. Each blog is its own entity. We’re like literary rebels who sometimes break the rules. Rebels with a cause. Whether we write in the first or second person our focus is to be THOUGHT PROVOKING, INSPIRING, MOTIVATING AND ENTERTAINING. We have incorporated hyperlinks to magnify the experience. So if a post has a blue hyperlink please click on it. We want you to get the full experience.

We want you to continue to have a sweet tooth and read as if you are eating a box of chocolate. You can even take a bite off of each one, put it in the back in the box, go back and finish it later. Please feel free to share. There is plenty of chocolate to go around.

Our goal is give each writing a life of its own. This blog format allows us to make changes. So, it is possible that the next time you go back and read again, it could be slightly changed or tweaked. That’s the beauty of this blog format, unlike print.

If you are reading this blog for the first time you may wonder, ‘why isn’t he talking more about poetry.’  Although I do consider myself a poet and a writer, but by not holding the reins so tightly, the DPL has morphed into what it is.

We feel creativity is like water. It is pliable and takes the shape of whatever container it is poured into. It can also, when frozen, become a solid: ice.  But it is still water. In Whatever form we may appear, our primary focus always comes back to writing. We want to be an inspiration.

So, don’t hold on to those reins so tight. Keep your mind open. Loosen that grip. RELA X. Let it flow. SMILE.   A smile   can be worth more than a thousand words. Your smile has the power to light up a room and connect with people without saying a single word. You may not have anything to smile about but smile anyway.  You might be thinking. Why does it matter whether I smile or not? I’m wearing a mask (during the pandemic) so people don’t know whether I’m smiling or not. Smile  anyway. We don’t always have to see it, to feel it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyHoohNyYkw

We started writing this post not knowing what to write about. Our only goal was to write a thousand words and here we are. Just about there…

If you feel the need and have enough time to count and make sure we reached our goal. Well, that means you have a lot of time on your hands. Which means you certainly have time to write… so pick up that pen or tap at that keyboard and GET ‘ER DONE!

REMEMBER. THE JOURNEY TO A THOUSAND WORDS BEGINS WITH WRITING THE FIRST ONE.

The post ONE THOUSAND WORDS appeared first on Department of Poetic License.

photo by PIXABAY

 DOORS. Open doors, closed doors, automatic doors, revolving doors, garage doors, doors with handles, doors with knobs.  You probably already know by now that the DPL is going to attempt to weave some metaphorical screws into those doors. Put some handles and locks on the doors. Get keys made for you. NO. WAIT A MINUTE.  You have to do that yourself. While this might have started out like a home improvement project; we’re going to take a little detour  through the doors of your imagination. Wait a minute again. How are we going to do that? It’s YOUR IMAGINATION. The DPL just can’t barge into your mind. We’re not the thought police.

Our mission, as has been previously stated, is to stimulate your imagination so that you will at least find a key to fit and unlock the door to your imagination. Everyone has an imagination; the ability of forming new ideas or images or concepts of external objects . In short, the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful. So if you are reading this blog, feel free to use any part you may find helpful enough to lead to a story or poem.

As writers we have to live everything, meaning we have to absorb everything around us. We don’t necessarily have to keep it but we have to absorb it.  Everyday is a new day. There are no ordinary moments. STANDBY I’m going to switch over from “we” to “I.”  Well, tell you what, we’ll alternate. We have a license to do that.

Doors are meant to either keep people out or keep people in. When doors are closed we should either knock or ring a bell.  It could be that we’re outside of someone else’s home, in an office building, the neighborhood library, wherever. We should not reach for that handle unless we are granted entry. I approach closed doors with cautious optimism. No matter how bad I have to go to the bathroom. I still have to knock. There  might be someone using it who forgot to lock the door. This is basic DOOR 101:  NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING.

Then there are times when I’m spoiled. I go to a store or building and when I get close enough the doors slide open automatically. Very convenient. When I go to the bathroom; I move away from the toilet it flushes. Very convenient. I hold my hands underneath the soap dispenser and soap comes out. Very convenient. I hold my hands underneath the faucet and water comes out. So very convenient!  Then I go to the paper towel dispenser. All I have to do is wave my hands and a paper towel come out. WOW!!!  I AM JUST SO WONDERFULLY OVERWHELMED with all of theses conveniences. I don’t have to touch anything. That’s great!  MAKES MY LIFE EASIER.

I somewhat got lulled into being a little too spoiled; when one day I went to use the bathroom, washed my hands , then started waving my hands (like martial artist) in front of the paper towel dispenser. Nothing came out. I kept waving and waving my hands getting more upset. When I heard a voice behind me say, ” you have to turn the knob on the side.”   ” Thanks, ” I replied embarrassed.

Sometimes those doors in our mind don’t open automatically. We need a key to unlock them. Or. Sometimes it may be as simple as turning the handle or knob and ‘VOILA!”  So, get your key out if you need it. Turn the knob, open every door. EXPLORE.  The mind is a vast land of opportunity. Embrace the beauty. Stand in the WATCHTOWER above and look out at the SEA OF POSSIBILITY.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO STAND IN THE SUN, THE WIND AND THE RAIN. FEEL THE ELEMENTS.

Because right now this MOMENT IS MONUMENTAL, You will never see another like it. I know this might sound a little weird but I can feel you breathing this very minute. We can feel you. We are just that close. You and I.

So, we thank you again for riding with us. Time to drop you off . ” Now which house is yours?”

“DO YOU HAVE YOUR KEY?”

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