Remember the Masters & Rory McIlroy
The final putt drops. His knees soon too.
Held high with the help of his hands, his head
tucks into his torso onto the grass below.
The act was fast unlike the wait which was anything but.
Yet, officially over at last.
Gene Sarazen,
Ben Hogan,
Gary Player,
Jack Nicklaus,
Tiger Woods,
and now Rory McIlroy — the sixth men’s golfer to complete all four modern majors.
“It’s a dream come true.”
“I’ve dreamt about that moment for as long as I can remember,” said McIlroy.
The Pantone 342 C shade jacket looks good. Fits as if he’s made for it — literally and figuratively.
Before the press could ask any questions, he began the post playoff press conference with his own.
“What are we all going to talk about next year?”
He lets out a chuckle.
The room whose eyes he held captive did too.
A room full of people from all sorts of places — each feeling the same.
Proud —for more reasons than just one when it comes to McIlroy.
There’s no doubt about this.
If there was, it was sure to drown out from everyone’s admiration for him. This I know.
I will share what else I know too — about McIlroy — more specifically
the question he asked — rhetorical in nature.
Many answers come to mind on what there is to chat about.
If I were to go through every possibility, I may just take the same amount of time it took McIlroy to accomplish the Career Grand Slam.
Eleven years in case you forgot.
Luckily for everyone reading, and unlike McIlroy, I don’t have eleven years to spare.
Each possibility - applicable to all
whether we like it or not
Suffering is necessary and unavoidable
for better or worse.
We cannot appreciate good moments that grace our lives with smiles and satisfaction if we are familiar with experience of the latter. Both types of experiences are sure to find their way — into our lives at various points. Sometimes we see it coming, others we don’t.
The ratio of these collective experiences varies and is reliant on a unique set of factors — a discussion for another day.
Humanity, however, is not immune from suffering. Had McIlroy not know this truth, the victory wouldn’t mean as much.
Not all suffering is necessary, though. Some can and should be avoided. Technology has helped with this greatly. While it’s become a solution to some problems, there’s no denying that it's surely responsible for the creation of others. Often considered a tool, technology has similar features to that of a clamp, a hammer, a shovel — you get the point. When we use these readily available tools for the right reasons, our lives become — inarguably and increasingly — more enjoyable. When we successfully reduce time spent suffering, we’re given the chance to create space for people and projects that mean most to us. The infamous quote that preaches moderation must be considered when such is the case.
Instant gratification, especially for an extended period of time, alters reality and stunts our ability to adapt to adversity. Convenience and pleasure then become an expectation. That, my friends, is dangerous.
The world now waits.
Not for McIlroy but rather, the Masters.
Top tier talent will continue conversation — inevitably
from a list of people who chose to try despite uncertainty especially in times of adversity.
McIlroy and the Masters — a lesson to learn from — a conversation to continue.
