You have to understand that my aversion to golf goes way back.  My dad always tried to get me into golf, and according to him, the fact that I do not play is one of the causes of all the problems in my life.  (The other two things that all my issues can be traced back to are that I don’t eat enough fiber and that I didn’t go to Purdue.)

So when a friend suggested “foot golf” as a fun afternoon outing, I didn’t exactly jump for joy.  Then again, this friend has been my partner in crime for many other fun activities so I thought maybe I could give him the benefit of the doubt and just roll with the punches this time.  When you get a reputation for doing oddball activities it kind of obligates you to say yes.  

(I did find a cartoon in the paper that I gave to him where a character announces that he is going to play golf.  The others ask why. He states that since all life is meaningless, he might as well chase a little white ball around.  The other characters agreed that this was the best description of golf that they had heard.)

Foot golf is played on a small course similar to a par-three golf course, but instead of needing a bunch of fancy expensive equipment, you just kick a soccer ball around in your everyday  sneakers. None of us in the group were particularly athletic, and it was good that we were all on the same page in terms of non-competitiveness.

It was almost the hottest day of the year, and there were persistent gnats galore.  But we were able to take that in stride as part of the summer outdoor experience. We took our time going down the course, waiting for each other to kick closer to the hole.  It was a pretty mellow experience, as we strolled along, sipping from water bottles.

We each kept track of our score then would record the final score at the end of the hole.  But we were having so much fun laughing and joking with each other that we often lost count.  And none of us cared what our scores were, nor anybody else’s. Then we went and ate Mexican food, which was probably the real goal all along.

We were sitting at dinner, recalling the afternoon events, good-naturedly teasing each other, and it dawned on me that this is really what the whole day was about:  Spending time with really amazing people. Getting to know each other and interacting in person; no phones or social media. Talking, having real conversations, and making eye contact.

If you have all that, then it doesn’t matter what you’re doing.  You don’t need elaborate or expensive activities—just being with people is enough.  Engaging in some goofy activity can provide hours of entertainment because the real enjoyment comes from those you have surrounded yourself with.

So here’s Stef’s NOW (Nugget Of Wisdom) for the month:  It’s not the what; it’s the who. If you focus on the what you will probably never be satisfied.  But if you concentrate your energies on the who then the rest will take care of itself. Then you can have a good time no matter what you do, even if it includes copious amounts of bugs and sore shins the next morning.