I loved lemon drops until the night I saw Darby O’Gill and the Little People. For those of you who weren’t around in 1959, Darby O’Gill was a reasonably popular Disney movie back then. I ate more than my fill of lemon drops at the movie and then horked all over the car as we drove home.
We learned the next day that the lemon drops weren’t entirely to blame—I spent the next week fighting a stomach virus—but the experience soured me on lemon drops for years. (If you’re wondering why I had some for the photo, my father in law loves them and my wife is paying him a visit later this week.)
Golf was getting to be like lemon drops for me last month. I’d eaten more than my fill of it and had horked all over the course, the scorecard, and my handicap. But just as with my post-Disney up-chucking, it wasn’t just a golf overdose that was the problem.
I’d fallen behind on a lot of little things around the house and property to the point that I found myself feeling hurried getting to the course and getting back. That haste was translating into a fast, choppy swing and impatience with bad shots. Of course, that only led to a faster swing and more bad shots. (Any parallels drawn between the tasks and my 1959 stomach virus are entirely the responsibility of the reader.)
So I’ve been taking a little vacation from golf. I’ve accomplished a lot around the house and property and generally messed around. I’m ready to hit the course again and I’m looking forward to the game as a game. I’m not thinking about how I can stop my downward slide and if I really should be playing instead of building cabinets, painting, or whatever.
Ronfucius just contacted me about being his partner at the opening match of the season, so the game is afoot. When the pros return to Kapalua I’m back on the course.
fairwaywords 
You’re not the first person I’ve seen in the past month basically saying that they are learning to re-love golf. I’m new to the game and loving it – and glad that you’re back to looking forward to the game.
The game is a life-long love affair, and has it’s high and low points like any relationship. Luckily I’ve loved it much more than not, even during a few periods where I couldn’t play for years at a time. It’s great to hear you’re new to the game – I think you’ll find it to be one of the loves of your life.
I am happy to see you are also learning to re-love blogging about golf. That was a fairly long break you took.
It’s good to hear from you again, Brian. I’m hoping to get back on a more regular blog schedule, because I do enjoy it. If only those pesky little details of life would let me alone I’d be a happier blogger and golfer, but wouldn’t we all? I am getting back to more regular playing and I’m really enjoying that.
…and while we are on the subject of “Darby O’Gill and the Little People”, the banshee is one of my earliest memories of getting the crap scared out of me by a movie scene.
The banshee is the only scene I clearly remember from the movie. My memories of the night are a frightening still image of that scene and hanging my head out the window of a ’55 Buick as we drove down the street near my home. I wouldn’t be surprised if part of my lemon drop reaction was stimulated by the emotional turmoil the banshee stirred up.
Nice blog