Hospitality
Greetings Golfers,
Was watching a video the other day about long-lived cultures on the planet. One of the places was Ikaria, Greece where the people live for hundreds of years. I’m exaggerating … but many live to be a 100+.
So the talk was about the weather and what they eat, etc … all the typical categories. But, one of the residents exclaimed that those weren’t the reasons why they live so long. He said it was because “ Every family sets an extra chair at the table so that they are ready to welcome a guest.”
Wow. How good is that? Talk about hospitality.
These are not rich people. Many are poor. But … they want to live a life of hospitality. Not tit-for-tat … genuine hospitality.
I found this in “5 Ways to Show Hospitality”
1.) Invite someone over for a meal
2.) Give a hug to people you know
3.) Take a meal to someone in need
4.) Ask someone about their day and really listen
5.) Buy the drink for the person behind you
Obviously this could be a longer list. Basically it’s about giving - food or time or concern or a drink!
A one-way street of taking ain’t pretty. But forced giving or forced hospitality doesn’t mean much. We all know when it’s genuine.
Here’s a cool quote that I just read, “Though societies can not attain perfection, they can still provide the good life if not driven by the predatory motives of efficiency and control.”
Driven by. That’s the key. Nothing wrong with efficiency and some control … but not if those are a society’s driving forces. Otherwise, it’s just a master-slave society.
I recently read that we Americans eat 1/3 of our meals in the car. What????
In my lifetime, I’ve seen the pace of life get pretty ramped-up. I wish that I could wave a magic wand and slow it all down.
Well, I can’t do that … but I can talk about the joy of playing golf. It can be a needed break from the madness. I don’t mean a slow round of golf … I mean a comfortable 4 hour round followed by a drink or two. And leaving an extra seat at the table for someone new to share your hospitality.
Golf is the key to longevity.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com