July 15 - Mini Golf and Other Games

Last week on our family summer holiday, we played mini golf. It was a swelteringly hot day but we were on holidays and playing mini golf was somewhat traditional.

As we played, I realized that my sight had deteriorated from this same time last year. This year, I wasn’t able even to glimpse the end of the little track to the hole. I had no chance of seeing the hole itself. After the first two holes, Lyle pointed out that I wasn’t even holding my golf club correctly. I had been trying to hit the ball with the short end rather than the longer end of the club. I stumbled a bit walking from one hole to the next. I certainly missed my white cane, but I had left it behind, reasoning that holding one stick was going to be enough for me to handle. A golf club and a white cane at the same time would have been just too awkward.

Now you might be wondering why I had decided to join the family for what sounds a bit like torture. Actually, in spite of my difficulties with the practicalities of the game, it was fun and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Our five year-old granddaughter was a huge help in assisting me in finding my ball after each shot, and one member of the family usually helped in lining up my initial putt. When the scores were tallied, we sat under a shady tree to hear the results. I “won” with the highest score – being at least twenty strokes more than the next person on the scoreboard. (In case you are unaware, in golf the player with the lowest number of strokes is the winner.) We all clapped for my incredibly high score. Daughter Jenny received an ovation for her three holes in one. We clapped for Lyle for his sportsmanship and for Andrew for his skill in keeping the scores. Of course, Lexi received an enthusiastic applause for being the absolutely cutest player on the team. Now I ask you, how could I have missed all that! It didn’t seem to matter that I couldn’t see to play well. It just mattered that I was part of the family team.

We are hoping to play a number of other outdoor games this summer. Again, I know that I will be the poorest player when it comes to skill and seeing, but my family is great. I don’t plan on missing out on the fun because of my limited sight. No, it won’t be the same as if I had twenty twenty vision, but I am going with what I have and making the most of it. Summer games can be so much fun!