Friends ease the bad times
By Joe Rector
The time seems right to brag on some friends of mine. Yes, I do have friends, even though some of them don’t know. One group consists of men from all walks of life who like to play golf together. The second group includes the singers at the church I attend. After a week of Covid that knocked Amy and me out of a vacation, I definitely needed something to pick me up.
Ask anyone who has played golf with me, and he can verify the fact that I’m not very good. I’ve played for 25 years, on and off, and just when I think I have fine-tuned the skills of the game, I play a round that is so horrible that it’s embarrassing. That happened with these men. My brother, Jim, has played with them for some time, but I was a newbie. The practice round I played the day before was one of my better ones, so I felt okay about playing with the “big boys.” My confidence was soon shattered. On the second shot to hole one, I swung and looked up at the same time. Any golfer knows that is the greatest of all sins in this game. For the rest of the day, I butchered the course with terrible shots.
Meanwhile, the men I played with killed drives, placed iron shots on the greens and birdied holes. All the time, these guys continued to encourage me, and every swing was another gigantic disappointment. On a couple of holes, I picked up my ball and waited for the good players to finish up.
All of the men met at the clubhouse, and we talked about funny shots and amazing ones as well. Some teased Jim about something he had done, but they left this new guy alone. I can’t tell them how much I appreciate their invitation to play and kindness during the day. Other than the fact that I stunk up the course, the day was a good one.
The second group that brightened the day was the choir/praise band at Beaver Ridge United Methodist. I’ve talked about them before, but they came through for me this week. Just seeing them lightens any bad mood, and as soon as we begin singing, nothing is wrong. Skip keeps me up to date on what we’re singing and the latest news in Karns. Paula plays the piano for us, and like Victor Borge, stops in the middle of a piece to relay something that leaves us laughing uncontrollably. The praise band has a talented group that thrills many of our members. Chad, whom I used to think was quiet and reserved, can pick a guitar and belt out some of the newest religious songs. Angie easily sings old favorites and new tunes as well. Ashley touches hearts with the songs she performs, and Gage, her husband and our director, can fill the church with his beautiful renditions of songs. The choir and praise band make Wednesday evenings my favorite time of the week.
The last set of friends that make life a little better are the men with whom I work at the golf course. Brent is the boss, and I fret sometimes that my work doesn’t meet his high standards. His son Evan is much like his dad but is not as intimidating. Jeff has been at the place for years. He and Jim have a game they’ve played for 20 years. Jack is dry-witted and always has something good to say. John, the mechanic without whom we couldn’t survive, always has something friendly to say, and on occasion, he mixes up something the night before for us to eat early the next morning.
I’m disappointed about our vacation loss, but according to reports, it rained most of the days we would have been there. I am thankful that these folks were around to rescue me from a rotten attitude. I hope I can do the same for them sometime.
