One Shot Leads to Another...
is absolutely true, in golf and in life.
Happy Thursday, Friends!
Let’s start with a little time travel - 33 years back, to be exact, and to Hartford, Wisconsin - my hometown and also the hometown of my parents.
The year is 1990, and the main character of this story - my dad - had recently retired from practicing medicine in Hartford. Throughout his career, he’d helped many patients and made a positive impact on the community through his work in and outside of the field of medicine.
Yet almost immediately after retiring, he felt he’d made a mistake. He wasn’t ready to hang it up, as he knew there were many medical needs in Hartford and wanted to continue making a difference.
One area of need that kept coming back to him was the population who suffered from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. My dad had seen the effects of dementia on both the patients and their caregivers and knew that dementia affects the entire family.
He thought about how Hartford needed an adult day care center where people suffering from various forms of dementia could attend daily and participate in activities and feel a sense of belonging and purpose. In addition, the center would give their caregivers a couple of free hours to recharge and manage their lives.
He could envision the center but wasn’t sure how to bring it to fruition.
Then, one day, on the golf course, he had an idea.
Why not create an annual charity golf event that raises money to build this center?
My dad felt this could work because he was sure of two things: First, there was a definite need for the center in Hartford. Second, he knew there was a population of golfers and supporters who would recognize this need and be more than willing to give back on the golf course.
It was certainly worth a shot, wasn’t it?
Thinking, “Why not give it a try?” my dad pitched the idea to the Medical Center Foundation of Hartford. They liked it, so my dad and his friend Terry Goerne, the Executive Director of the Foundation, ran with it.
My dad and Terry named the event the Goldbug Golf Tournament after a classic car called the Goldbug that had been manufactured in Hartford.
The first Goldbug Golf Tournament in 1990 was a hit, attracted repeat golfers annually, and in just a few years, the funds were raised to bring the 1022 Club to life. My dad came up with the name 1022 Club so that those attending the center wouldn’t have to say they were going to Adult Day Care… instead, they could say, “Hey, I’m going to the Club today.”
Flash forward to yesterday.
Yesterday marked the 33rd Annual Algiers Goldbug Golf Classic - the name changed after my dad passed in 2020. The event still draws a large group of supporters and now raises money for medical needs in the community. Today, the 1022 Club is still going strong under a new name - Tamarack Adult Day Services.
The best part about yesterday’s outing was that I saw first-hand how that center is still helping patients and their families. While at the Goldbug, I spoke with someone who goes to Tamarack Adult Day Services and also met their spouse. I could see first-hand how the center helped the person suffering from Alzheimer’s (by giving him a sense of purpose and community) and also helped the caregiver. Later in the day, I talked with another woman who told me how important the center was for her husband.
It was heartwarming to see how the center was doing exactly what my dad envisioned… giving patients a place where they feel they belong and can continue to contribute and thrive and their caregivers a chance to have some much-needed downtime.
All of this was possible because my dad had an idea… and took a shot at it.
One shot.
And this shot leads me to What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week…
We need to trust our instincts and not be afraid to take a shot at something… even if that thing feels large and insurmountable.
We simply need to take the shot and see where it leads.
Because that one shot gives us another shot and another… and pretty soon, we’re there.
So this week, I ask that you dust off those clubs and take a few shots at those ideas percolating in your heads.
You never know where they’ll lead.
With that, let’s tee off this newsletter,
Abbey
Pictured below are my parents, playing the Goldbug in their late 80’s.
LISTEN:
If “one shot at a time” can help in golf, I bet it can for aging, too. Learn how to manipulate your environment to reverse biological age in The Optimal Body Podcast and “Learn How to Reverse Your Biological Age with Chris Mirabile.”
I get it, though, that taking one shot can sometimes seem uneventful and overwhelming at the same time. For example, say you want to write a book. Achieving the goal of writing 200-plus pages can seem impossible at the start. Don’t let that stop you from writing or any other goal. The Daily Creative: How To Pursue a Daily Writing Practice can help you overcome anxiety when it comes to starting any major project.
WATCH (ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE TRAVELING THIS SUMMER)
Regardless of where your summer travels take you, it’s always good to pack efficiently. You won’t want to miss these packing tips, delivered by Laurie - a pilot’s wife who’s been around the block (and the globe) and knows a thing or two about packing.
Speaking of travel tips, how about some hacks? Digital nomad Taylor Winn Shares 18 Money-Saving Travel Hacks she always uses. Give it a watch; some of the tips will surprise you.
READ
If you know me, you know that despite my love of words, I’m not much of a reader. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw a bunch of books I actually have read on the Reader’s Digest list of 100 Books Everyone Should Read Before They Die. (Shoutout to my sister Beth for this link!) Be sure to check it out if you’re looking for summer reading.
EAT
My latest trick in getting myself to cook more is by posting recipes in this newsletter. By researching delicious meals, I’m at least halfway there, right? That idea led me to discover these gorgeous Pesto Veggie Burgers that I’ve decided I must try.
And as long as burgers are on the menu, why not make some sweet potato fries and a lovely summer salad? Sounds like the perfect mid-summer meal. Am I right?
You can’t have a barbeque without some refreshments. Here are some great mocktails and healthy summer cocktails too.
ON A SERIOUS NOTE:
I started this newsletter with my dad’s story of wanting to make a difference. The other part of this story is less transparent.
He started a golf tournament to raise money for an adult daycare center.
Well, that golf tournament did indeed accomplish that goal, but it did something else, too. It generates positive energy every single year and serves as a reminder for all those attending of how good it feels to give back.
There’s something magical that happens when people get together to have fun and do better at the same time… the experience creates positive energy and ignites something in us that encourages us to keep helping others.
That explains many of the same golfers coming back year after year for the Goldbug. They see that their efforts are part of a collective desire to help make the world a better place.
That’s pretty cool if you ask me.
And here’s the deal.
We don’t have to golf in an outing to generate this positive energy and action.
We can simply find small ways in our daily lives to make a difference in the lives of others. They all add up to help the greater good and each positive action we take leads to another.
And it all starts by taking a shot at doing something positive.
That’s when things really get rolling.
Until next week,
Abbey