Hats off to the Disabled

Today marked the tenth anniversary of the South African Disabled Golf Open sponsored by Nedbank and I had the privilege to participate in the corporate event after the tournament itself.  It was a memorable day and I was truly intrigued and impressed by the quality of the golf, but more importantly the manner in which the players treated each other at the event.  I played with one of the young rising stars and the way he is treated by his fellow players and their families was remarkable.  We can learn so much from the manner in which basic qualities of respect and acceptance are displayed and it led me to truly ponder how we treat people and how often we waste valuable hours on petty misunderstandings and grudges over things, when in the bigger picture we are so blessed to have all our faculties and are able to mange the basic things in life with no problems and yet these men and woman, for whom the very basic things are a challenge, let alone playing golf and this becomes a reality check to be more accepting of the faults of others, more inclined to resolve issues faster and to enjoy every minute we have with those we care about, because we do not know what awaits us in the future.  Holding on to people who are dear to us is very important and not to let the "little foxes" bother us is an invaluable lesson.  The other thing I learnt was that spending time to interact with others in whatever way we can, makes this country a special place to live in, that through sport like running, or cycling, or golf people unite and talk about their lives and business and yet it seems to be mostly in a positive manner because it is doing something that they enjoy.  The conversations are more positive on the whole and good interaction is visible, not the usual race, political or socio-economic rubbish that we get from news and television.  South Africans can be uplifting and resilient and  compatible and we forget what a marvellous place we live in with lifestyle, weather and genuinely good people.  A true life lesson and a golf lesson too from a young man with physical difficulties certainly cleaned my senses to go in to work today with an attitude of appreciation for what I have and the motivation to make something of the opportunities that I have.