“Don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.”
Rumi
The weather app is predicting temperatures below or close to 0°c all day. The sun on the other hand shines in all its prowess. The weather on the East coast of America is deceptive and naughty. Yesterday it was 10°c and above throughout the day but there was no sun. It was rainy, windy and warm. Today it is -1°c despite bright sunlight. It’s warmer when cloudy and colder in sunshine. Such is the stealth of the weather people live by in this area.
A person from East Asia perceives the might of the sun and cluster of clouds in a different manner. For him rain is relief from the scorching heat of a stern sun. Whereas western societies call their bad times the rainy days and sunshine means a great day for them. After having a good look at the sunshine from my window, I called the club to know if the golf course was open. Most of them were closed due to the snowfall and ghusty rain earlier in the week. At Swansea Country Club though the lady at the golf shop seemed in a mood to celebrate the glory of the shining sun. She proudly announced on my phone that as long as the sun shone, a golfer intended to play, and Christmas holidays were on she would happily opt to open the course. “Today however I will allow no carts on the wet course but only golf by walking” she added. I love golf on foot anyway. The chill of Greater Boston will be a perk in addition.
“When it’s cold and raining,
you are more beautiful.
And the snow brings me
even closer to your lips.
The inner secret, that which was never born,
you are that freshness, and I am with you now.
I can’t explain the goings,
or the comings. You enter suddenly,
and I am nowhere again.
Inside the majesty.”
Rumi
The course was washed and squeezed and the greens were neatly ‘pressed.’ The golf course at Swansea country club is demandingly designed, meticulously maintained and carefully crafted. I was completely covered, pridefully prepared, and entirely attentive to my game. Since there are no caddies here so it’s important to play to the point. The Swansea Club Golf Course is an eighteen hole golf course, with an additional par three course and a grand practice range. It pulls the crowd on usual days and by the time I reached the tee, some enthusiastic golfers had already taken off. Golf in New England is a trip of its own kind. It thrills, chills, and fills!
When there is no one to handle your mistakes you tend to make less. When there is no caddie to find your ball you carefully hit it within the bounds and keep track of it. Humans behave differently when they are on their own. With assistance handy they show attitude and pretension. All of my cuts, fades and draws go silent. Straight and acceptable shots come handy. In colder temperatures golfers are overpacked and on top of that, the ball doesn’t like to cover the usual distance. It doesn’t matter whether it’s cold or warm because golfers gotta do what golfers gotta do. I wish you a very happy new year from the midst of a chilling fairway.
Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.
Kahlil Gibran
You wouldn’t believe how quickly the ‘Sahibism’ (elitism) of the subcontinent people melts into the holy liquid of equality and civil rights once their plane touches the American soil. VIPs from Indo-Pak start to handle their luggage themselves and stand in lines happily. They wait for their turns, and play golf without caddies. They never ask for a pass during the round as they think that priority over others is their birthright back home. They behave in such a civilized manner overseas and instantly convert their arrogance into modesty at foreign soils. On the other hand we rigidly cling on to the curses of certain norms and taboos in our own neighborhoods. In no time do we become secular in belief overnight in other countries. At home we follow our religions to our bones. What a hypocritical bunch of people we are?
Golf is a nation on its own. Soon another gentleman appears from the veranda of the club heading towards the tee. I wait for him after my first drive. Mr. Jerome was a young man who was an operator of the huge construction (CAT) cranes. It was a privilege to have a round of golf with a person who moves mountains and turns rivers. He seemed a delicate and fragile young man in his appearance. I am sure now that those monstrous machines must have power steering. Yet Mr. Jerome and Mr. Jamil both know that power in golf only comes through a perfect swing and with proper torso movement. No hydraulic comes handy in the great game of golf.
He is a skilled person of the construction industry and I am an executive from the same trade. I dream and conceive such projects. He sweats to bring those concepts and dreams into existence. I respect his trade much more than mine. Where my job and reputation is at stake, a courageous person like him puts his life on the line. I salute his courage, his effort and his determination. People of such stature live their lives looking straight in the eyes of hard work. They grab the ox of life from the horns and bend it towards their destination. They are the real construction industry.
It might be a tiny ball but it requires more concentration than any caterpillar, I know that. He was a good player and I know how to handle players who play better than I do. Despite our utmost attempts to defeat each other we ended up even, thanks to my talkative nature. Any time he was ahead of me I would divert his attention to the upcoming summer when he would be toe to toe with his routine. After all I am a staunch believer of Mr. Bobby Jones saying:
“Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course, the space between your ears.”
The weather was cold but the round was cool. The wind was chilly but my colleague was warm. The ground was icy but my opponent was decent. So long friend and keep golfing. Happy new year to all my readers!
Credits
Goodreads
Swansea Country Club, MA
By
Ahsan Jamil
Golfer, Blogger, Entrepreneur, Author, Poet, Wanderer, photographer
Email: Golfaij@gmail.com
Website: Golfaij.com