Some great stories, guys. I'll share a couple.
I was playing with an old friend once, and losing to him badly after only a few holes. I was burning inside, denouncing myself internally in a way that only the game of golf seemed to make me do. Feeling utterly sorry for myself. We had to wait on a par 3 along with the two groups ahead of us. I noticed that the first group waiting by the tee was an older man and what appeared to be his wife. They were both decked out to the nines, in what would have passed for Easter regalia. They were solicitously engaged with what I guessed to be their daughter, also dressed in bright colors.......but something seemed off. It took me a few moments to realize that the girl's face looked different, she walked with difficulty, that she was seemingly unable to talk or even smile with her parents. As I watched them enjoying their day out, a feeling came over me of utter shame. To be assailing myself in my mind, to be feeling like the world was plotting against me in my stupid golf game with my friend while this family was out enjoying a round of golf together and overcoming real problems, dealing with real obstacles - whatever condition it was that the girl suffered from - I shed a tear then. The experience really changed my approach to golf. I just can't get that mad about my game any more. How bad can a game of golf ever be? As my kids would say - "rich people's problems."
There was another time, although it was after a round, not during. I was traveling with my mom in Britain, after she'd had to undergo several surgeries for ovarian cancer. She knew that I wanted to play at St. Andrews more than anything, but it wasn't possible to arrange a tee time in advance. We were staying at a little b&b outside St. Andrews, and when I left to go see if I could get on, she stayed there resting up. I was able to join a group and play the course, one of my greatest golf memories. But far better than that is my memory of my mom's face when I walked into the b&b, and her saying "did you play?" and me nodding and saying yes and hugging her. I hadn't realized how intensely she wanted this for me, more maybe than I even wanted it myself. I blubbered like a baby, hugging her then. Damn, I'm tearing up right now.
I hope these don't come across as depressing stories, what with the mentally-challenged young woman, or my mom and cancer. To me they are most firmly the very opposite of depressing. There's something about this game, that gets inside of you. That's why Peter is asking for these stories - he knows. We all know, right?