Thursday, June 12, 2008

Fore your Sociological Mindfulness

The other day I was golfing at the driving range. Admittedly it had been awhile since I hit a golfball, and though I looked like a first time golfer, in my defense I was working on a few new techniques. Anyway, an elderly man had just finished botching some swings near me when he made a few comments about what I was doing wrong. Secretly, I was cursing this old fogie, "Okay old man I get it. Thanks grandpa, but on a good day I could outhit you like Tiger Woods. Can I just hit my balls and relax?" However I thought about the bigger picture. Here is a older guy trying to be useful. Probably retired, he has lots of time and nowhere to go. So I placated the helpful old dude. He started messing with my stance and my swing, but you know what? I started hitting a little better. I couldn't believe it. I felt like a Cookie thief. Here I was being all critical of this guy not wanting to listen and he ends up helping me and if he knew the truth, he'd be entitled to be critical about my attitude. Stereotypes don't cease with the sociologist. We are all part of society.