The SquizLog

Relative Health

"Have a look at that bloke in the black shorts", I exclaimed. "That's the definition of guts."

Yesterday was a very chilly day on the golf course. My younger playing partners thought I was referring to how cold the bloke on the other fairway was due to the fact that his black shorts were very short and exposing most of his legs to the elements.

"No", I said. "Have a closer look." I had to point out that in fact the golfer in very short black shorts had an artificial leg. I have to admit that when I first noticed him it gave me a jolt. Recently I've been a little preoccupied with my own health problems, which aren't insignificant but when I saw this bloke it gave me a wake-up call. It was as if he was saying "just get on with it; life is too short to mope around worrying about not being in perfect health." I'm not intending to ignore the need to improve my health. Rather it is a matter of gratitude. I should be grateful that I am in relatively good health. Having two good arms and two good legs is so easy to take for granted.

Actually, seeing this one-legged golfer reminded me of another bloke I knew during my university days. The courage of this particular bloke could not be called into question. He played Australian Rules football with an artificial leg. Now that is gutsy!