Mini Golf Life Lessons

In late July my wife and I took our nieces (22, 20, 16) and nephew (19) on our annual trip. We’ve been taking them places the last several years instead of getting them stuff for Christmas. The memories they get are far better and will last far longer than any “thing” we could buy them. This year’s trip was to Lake Luzerne, NY, just west of Lake George.

A couple of life lessons came on our last full day when we went into Lake George to play miniature golf. As we started play my wife put up the challenge that the lowest score buys lunch. Those of you who know anything about golf, already know where this is going. With our nephew keeping score and the kids keeping a careful eye on what their aunt and uncle were shooting, we moved from hole to hole. As the round progressed, the kids mysteriously began to pile up strokes – competing against each other, while ensuring not to get within striking distance of us.

We had a lot of fun on the course as it had more than its share of obstacles, tricky elevations, water hazards, and shortcuts. While trying not to get too low a score on a hole with what looked like a water hazard, one of our nieces accidentally found a shortcut when her ball went into the water then magically popped out below on the green. Lesson 1 – things are not always what they appear. We all took that lesson to heart and followed her lead. Though my wife and I probably should have taken the long way around to pile on some strokes ourselves!

At the 19th hole our nephew totaled up the scores and much to the kids’ relief, they were not on the hook for lunch. Somehow my wife and I tied – which meant lunch was on me. Lesson 2 – make sure you are motivating the behavior / outcome you want. While we fully intended to buy lunch anyway, it would have been much more exciting if highest score owned lunch. And we would have had a blast watching the kids fret over their scores.

The highlight of these trips for me is always watching the kids have fun together, but the last few years our nephew and I have had the chance to hang out quite a bit which has been a bonus for me – and I hope for him too. Being that we don’t have a vehicle big enough for the 6 of us, the girls ride with my wife and our nephew comes with me. And while the 4 kids hung out together constantly when they were younger, as they’ve grown their interests have divided so our nephew and I spend more time together.

He’s been a good sport about stopping at a local brewery or 2 on the way to our destinations to help my quest to get to as many local breweries as I can when I travel, and this year he had his first beer flight at a not-to-be-named upstate NY brewery. Walking in with an old guy and looking over 21 both worked in his favor. He and I also did some site-seeing while the girls and my wife shopped, taking in a waterfall with a great view of the Hudson River, and a Folk School in Lake Luzerne that keeps old world crafts like canoe making, basket weaving, wood working, and blacksmithing alive. That was a cool surprise, both finding it and hearing our nephew say, “let’s check it out”.

While my wife and the girls went to a local rodeo, he and I spent an evening on the deck of the house we had rented talking and looking at the stars (it’s really dark up there compared to home) – seeing shooting stars, a satellite, constellations not visible at home, and the space station. Thanks to his stargazing app for letting us know it would be visible. Another night we got a fire going so everyone could make smores – just getting the fire started without much kindling was a bonding experience! – and hung out talking after the rest of the crew went back inside.

Another day, while the girls shopped and my wife relaxed by Lake George, I took our nephew for a ride along the south end of the lake to show him that area and we spotted the Lake George Battlefield Park. He’s also into history so we headed to the visitors center to check out the displays and grab a map for a walking tour. It was cool to see that he was into it as much as I was, and we had fun walking the grounds and imagining what it must have been like to have been a soldier at that fort back in the Revolutionary War. And we both chuckled at the notation about the French Jesuit missionary who changed the Native American name of the lake, “Andia-ta-roc-te” to “Lac du St. Sacrement” - and was later killed by those Natives. Yes, we both have that kind of sense of humor.

Life lessons are everywhere if we are open to them. That night stargazing with our nephew wouldn’t have happened if I had made him go to the rodeo – he wasn’t into it and I didn’t want to leave him alone all night. It turned out to be one of the highlights we shared together and for me that was way better than a rodeo.

Final life lesson for me was the gift the kids got me – a t-shirt with “Official Member of the Piss & Moan about Everything Club”. Thanks to our youngest niece for having the sense of humor – and moxy – to get me that. We all got a good laugh out of it. Message received, lighten up Uncle Fred, and wear the shirt proudly!

I will be taking next week off for Labor Day. Next post week of September 12th.

Enjoy the last long weekend of summer!

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com 8-29-2022