FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Daytime Tuesdays is when Men’s’ Golf League plays

So you can guess the average age

Of faces tanned by southern rays

Boys living at the pension stage.

Men fifty through eighty post weekly scores

Thirty points higher than their age 

That’s why we hear so many “Fores,”

And groundskeepers live inside a cage.

Both skills and strength we expect to fade 

But older guys still filled with vanity

Blame extraneous things for errant shots they played

And pepper remarks with profanity.

The insipid topics of conversation

Range from sports to politics to medical care,

Knee replacement and poor circulation, 

NHL playoffs and Trump’s orange hair.

Since their performances here will never bring fame

One might question the handshakes as each round ends

But they return each week for pure love of the game,

And all are winners when they have friends.  

© Ron Unruh, April 2019

Congrats to the Steelers!

A NEW LEARNING
Okay Steelers by 4. Yes, the favourites came through with 35 seconds remaining on the game clock. It was an exciting final four minutes of play. Pittsburgh ahead, then Arizona and at last Pittsburgh again. Superbowl Champions for the sixth time in 43 Superbowls. My underdog Cardinals gave a valiant effort which fell short.

I watched the game with my son and son in law. As loud and animated as we were, cheering the Cards whom we hardly know, my son and I concluded later that ultimately it doesn’t matter to us who won. It changes nothing in our lives. I am not a gambler and I had no money on the outcome. We are weekend TV game watchers. It was hanging out that mattered.

Yesterday afternoon the guys including my three grandsons, who are 6 years and under, hung out at my son in law’s place with the large high def screen. The girls, three spouses and two granddaughters, watched a chick flick at my place. At about seven o’clock it all wound down and we went to our own homes. When my son delivered me to my house, Christine came out on the veranda to say hello to four year old Kale in the back seat. Kale said her, “love you.”

Thinking of my family, I had the distinct feeling that we were all winners yesterday.


* Top photo is of Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes, named MVP of the Super Bowl, smooching the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Photo is by Gary Horshorn/Reuters