HOW PARENTS TEACH By Paul H. Burton, J.D.
Editor’s Note: Tis article first appeared in the quietspacing newsletter. Mr. Burton graciously allowed TN to reprint it here to assist in “Protecting Your Investment—In Yourself.”
My father passed away in March at the age of 91. He lived a full and active life. Tat's him bicycling with his grandchildren when he was in his early 80s.
long putts easier, Father instructed me to "putt to the apple basket." Te imaginary apple basket is a much bigger target. Te next putt is easier once the ball is inside that distance.
Life Lesson: Te goal is to succeed; not always to score. Te apple basket created a higher likelihood of success because the second putt was easier.
4. Fix your divot, plus one more. Golf is hard on grass. Clubs take divots on fairways and balls make divots on greens. Playing golf with Father always meant fixing the divot you made, then fixing one someone else didn't.
Life Lesson: Make it better for the people who follow you. Playing golf is an etiquette-rich sport. Life should be equally etiquette-rich.
5. Carry, push, ride—In that order. Golfers choose how to get around the course. Tere's walking and carrying the clubs, walking and pushing the clubs, and riding on a power cart with the clubs on the back. Father played golf in that order as he aged—carried, pushed, rode.
We held his memorial service in July so all family members could attend. Everyone took a moment during the weekend to say something about their life with him. My moment focused on our time spent playing golf together, which we did a lot over the years.
The Five Lessons
1. Always tee the ball up. Tere is no requirement to tee the ball up in golf. However, it does make hitting it easier. When I was younger (and "cooler"), I would toss my ball down on the ground at short holes and swing away. Father advised me to "always tee the ball up."
Life Lesson: Take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. You never know if it's going to make a difference, but it might.
2. Club down until you're hitting well again. Te longer the golf club, the harder it is to hit. Confidence follows ball striking—good and bad—and confidence is a big part of golf. Father believed in "clubbing down until you're hitting well again."
Life Lesson: When things aren't going well, move to a comfort zone and rebuild your confidence.
3. Putt to the apple basket. Putting seems so simple. Just hit the ball into the hole over there. Te problem is the hole is really small—about four inches in diameter. Putting from any further away than a couple of feet can be daunting. To make
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The Measures of a Life My brother spoke at the end of our family dinner. He quoted Corrie Ten Boom. "Te measure of a life is not it's duration, but it's donation." Father's donation to me was teaching me a sport I will play my whole life and how to learn about life through that sport.
Paul H. Burton is a recovering corporate finance attorney who helps people regain command of their day. As a nationally recognized time management expert, he regularly speaks to professional audiences about getting more done and enjoying greater personal and o e
professional satisfaction. Paul is the author of six books on individual and leadership productivity. You can learn more about Paul and his practice at
www.quietspacing.com.
Photos courtesy of Paul H. Burton TPI Turf News September/October 2016
Life Lesson: Do what you love any way you can. Our abilities diminish as we get older. Tat does not mean we have to stop doing the things we love. It only means we have to find new ways of doing them. Father was 88 the last time we played golf together. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our ride around the course.
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