Rewind. Pause. Love.

Rewind—The Taliban’s declaration of holy war…Gulf War, Iran, Vietnam….  Rewind—Cuban Revolution, Korean War, WW II, Chinese Civil War, Irish War of Independence, WW I, Mexican Revolution….  Rewind—Comanche Campaign, American Civil War, Texas Indian Wars, War of 1812, Napoleonic Wars, French Revolution, American Revolutionary War, King George’s War… Rewind—Great Northern War, Spanish Conquest, War of the Roses, The Crusades, Chinese War, Roman Servile Wars, Greek Punic Wars….  Rewind all the starvation and deaths caused by political power (Stalin) or indecision.  Rewind to all the moments in human history where a single decision is about to affect a large number of fellow human beings.  Pause and Stop.

Erase greed, power, hatred, and all the other vile motives commonly referred to as Sin.  Insert Love.  What would have happened if love, inspiration, and kindness were in the hearts of those rising up and making a declaration for their people?  What if each person dropped their weapons and extended a hand of friendship?

History cannot be changed, but what if every single person made the decision to live life to its fullest, be content with what they had, were not jealous of what the next person accomplished, had an urgency to help the struggling because the struggling fell into a class of those actually trying…what if we put love in our hearts and suited up for the greatest battle in all of mankind—the battle against our own hearts.  What if we each trained to keep ourselves in check, keep negativity at bay, keep evil from rising within?  What if we reached out to others to help keep us in line, to prevent a single person from rising above love?  What if our goal was to preserve the collective love all of us established together?

Now, resume Play.  Would the world have been a different place?  Would it have been worth it to keep a single child from experiencing starvation, or a father from feeling the cold steel of a sword, or a mother from catching a live grenade, or a sister from coughing in a gas chamber, or a brother from being trampled, or a family from dying in a plague?

History cannot be changed, but tomorrow is yet written….

Pieces of Love

We give a piece of ourselves to others through love; our daughters, our sons, our wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, friends and acquaintances all take a piece of our hearts.  Through relationships, those pieces come back to us and complete a joy.  Never regret giving a piece of yourself away.  Don’t let that piece become tainted with hatred for a piece of your heart will always be a piece of love.  The more love you give away the more beautiful you become.  We’re all broken in one way or another, but together we’re a masterpiece.  

Golf: Every Sport In One Game?

I’ve come to learn that golf incorporates almost every sport known to man.  If you haven’t played the game, then you might argue that golfing is boring, lazy, and downright tormenting.  But you’d be surprised at the range of sports you’ll find…on the course.

1.    You hit the ball in the sand—Beach Polo.

2.    Your ball lands in a nest of fire ants—Hopscotch.

3.    The perfect drive hooks into a house—100 yard dash.

4.    Another golfer pockets your ball—Gladiators.

5.    A swarm of bees finds you interesting—Fencing (your 9 iron is truly a sword).

6.    Your pitching wedge floats the ball to within inches—Layup (Basketball).

7.    Fairway wood plus the tree in front of you—Backstroke (Swimming).

8.    200 yard drive plus 50 yard bounce off cart path—Homerun (Baseball).

9.    Perfect shot, but the stream catches your ball instead—Interception (Football).

10.   9 Iron loft hits an embankment and bounces back—Volleyball.

11.   Your ball lands amongst exposed tree roots—Kickball or Soccer.

12.   You chip a shot, only to realize a stick or pinecone was in front of your ball—Net (Tennis).

13.   Your teammate tosses a ball at you while you’re trying to drive—Handball.

14.   Your new Taylormade ball lands in the lake—Scuba Diving.

15.   Another golfer nearly hits you with their ball—Boxing.

16.   10 feet off the green, but you still think you can putt—Hockey.

17.   The perfect shot, a hole in one—Golf.

 

The list can surely go on, but one thing is for certain…golf is the most competitive sport played because your greatest opponent is yourself.  So, bring your swimming trunks, cleats, sunscreen, and tent because you’re going to experience everything from beachfront properties to camping in the woods.

Liquid Love

Your love tries to drain me, but I won’t let it be—I have my bottle of water.

The first time we met, under my arms were wet—thank you D.O. for working harder.

The first time we kissed, there was a mist on my lips, but it disappeared with passion.

When we said “I do”, my forehead resembled dew—tux sleeves are just big napkins.
Sweat on my chest; let’s not mention the rest—that first time we made love.

Streams down my cheeks, at our baby’s first squeak—experiencing my first “little hug”.

Water on my brow, learning how to plow—digging dirt to experience gardening.

No liquid in my brain, fighting this migraine—but smiling as you watch Tonya Harding.

My socks are soaking wet, I smell like a pet—mowing just to keep you at bay.

My eyes won’t stop pouring, this onion is roaring—for you, I replicate Bobby Flay.

My back is a lake, this shirt you can take—painting every room a different shade.

Now I’m ready to quit, there’s sweat in my knee pit—hiking a mountain for play.

Is this sweat in my hair?  Hey, I don’t care—about to toss you into the ocean.

My arms are completely covered, my muscles quiver—rubbing your back with lotion.

I’m forced to hydrate.  For you, my mate—because I try to rise above.

I may smell like a horse, but with no remorse—for you, I drip liquid love.