How do you emotionally recover from a three putt on the last green that cost you a dollar? Significant issues like the game, our democracy and fear of the current regime are what matter to my fellow septuagenarians. John and I finish each round, if it is close to noon or after, with a Bodhizafa craft beer, regardless whether we are celebrating or commiserating. Interesting discussions can come up. On Wednesday, John mentioned the phrase, “a quirk in time” as a potential Friday message topic. I first thought of a “quirk of fate” but either way it set me off on a search for the etymology. The word may come from Middle English, querk, or Old Norse Kverk meaning throat or angle. In the early 16th century the word suggested, ‘subtle verbal twist or quibble, and later ‘unexpected twist.’ I suppose a quirk in time would be something anachronistic, out of place, like a jet con trail in the Blazing Saddle’s movie. A quirk of fate is a “strange, unusual, or unexpected event that happens by chance, often with a significant impact on someone’s life.
With a bit of time left and a part of our one beer, we discussed the goal of shooting our own age. The youngest recorded Age shooter is Bob Hamilton, the l944 PGA champion matched his age with a 59. Arthur Thompson accomplished the feat at a record 103 years of age. John Powell shot a 64 at 86 years old for the largest recorded mathematical difference. T. Smith from Minnesota has documented 3359 rounds in his life at or below his age. Finally, Bob Kentz beat his age 7 times in one day in a charity golf marathon. The best senior golfer I know is a 77 year old retired Dentist from Lewiston, Idaho. I will call him Skip to protect his privacy, he shot his age at 66 and has done that each year since. He tells me “it is getting easier as I get older”. It is great to have a friend, John reminds me I shoot my age each time I play, unfortunately, I am not quite finished with the round.
I got a great word this week from Nancy H. Trumpery derives from Middle English and ultimately from the French tromper meaning “to deceive.” The word first appeared in English in the mid-15th century with the meanings “deceit or fraud” and “worthless nonsense”—according to Webster. Less than 100 years later it was being applied to material objects of “little or no value”. To ‘trump up’’means “to concoct with the intent to deceive……”. Used in a sentence, we exposed their ideals as trumpery. That trumpery hope, delusional or shallow which lets us dupe ourselves. The Orange Wanker is a fraud and he is living up to his name. As an aside, he cheats at golf, and claims he wins each event in which he plays—that is truly “trumped up.”
Enjoy the star view from our McCall fire pit area last week end as the kids roasted marshmallows for end of the season s’mores. This is the planet we need to protect from trumpery at all cost. Mike
Trumpery
