Look at the Scorecard

Those who have played golf with me know this is not a card of mine!

Sitting at the table, licking my golf wounds, I bemoaned my awful round. I recalled the meltdown on hole 7 and the other on 13. “Look at the scorecard,” my wise friend instructed. Pulling it from my pocket, I saw that surrounding the meltdowns were some good holes, one that was even fantastic. I had forgotten them, distracted by the bad ones.

I seem to do the same thing when thinking about my life. I see the things I’ve done wrong, hear the things I wish I’d never said, and don’t see the good. I know I’m not unique, but my friend helped me remember to look at the scorecard and not trust my recollection of things. It doesn’t take away the bad holes, but it shows there’s more to the round.

The other foursome arrived and one of the players came to the table having just birdied the 18th hole. With enlarged chest and peacock-like strut he told us what an incredible round he’d had. My friend waited patiently for the hot air to rise before telling him to look at the scorecard. When he did, he saw that not all the holes were as good as his last. There were some bad ones, too. 

Like me, he needed to take a closer look. Our minds can tell us lies or exaggerate things, for good or ill. It’s always best to question the truths we hold to be self-evident. We might be surprised by what we find.