Occasionally, you need to be a guy

I wore my soft-spike golf shoes to class today.

It’s OK. I’m the teacher.

The Saint Mary’s College students, who are all female and famous for noticing everything, did not notice until I brought it up.

It was my day to play in my annual 4-day golf tournament with my buddies.

It is better than Christmas Day to me. Better than New Year’s Eve. Better than most any day except for those I spend with my wife and family.  Yes, that was a paid political announcement.

I will never win the tournament. I am a middle of the roader. In fact, after committing an entire year to making my game better, this year I added a few strokes.

But never will I have more fun just being a guy during those four days with my buddies.

It is four days of inside jokes, stupid comments, insulting behaviors and brats and beers.  It is four days of missed putts, uncontrolled slices, bad pitch shots and a few incredible “gee-I should-turn-pro” moments.

To be honest, some guys take it too seriously. It is NOT a competition, nor is it a test of your manhood. When approached correctly, it is just guys being guys, only with golf clubs and golf carts.

This year, it was won by a guy who I beat by a couple strokes for 4th place last year. This year, despite my 3-days-a week regimen, he beat me by 10 strokes.  Yes, my ego was bruised, but after a couple of Yuenglings after the tournament was over, I did not care. Much.

Being a guy is simply being a guy. In a world where women tend to rule on a daily basis, it is hard to find those “just guys” moments.  That is why most of us in the group plan around this 4-day thing. We get to scratch and fart and swear without looking over our shoulder at disapproving looks from our spouses. Instead, we get a few laughs.

It. Is. Perfect

The bare fact is that none of the guys in the tournament would trade their lives as they are.  We are all quite lucky to have found incredible wives and have been lucky enough to surround ourselves with incredible people. We all understand that.

But the fact is, that in order for us to keep our balance, we need these brief moments to just be guys.

And, if wearing spikes to teach a college class so I can literally run out and hop in the car to make a tee time is what it takes, so be it.