FEMININE ENERGY & GOLF

FEMININE ENERGY & GOLF

It was an idyllic summer day, warm breeze and brilliant colors dotting the azure skyline of tall pines and flowering indigenous shrubs. Parking my golf bag outside the club side entrance, I made my way up the stairs into the clubhouse. A right turn into the bar area for a cold drink to finish off the nine holes. Sitting at the bar in front of two televisions broadcasting ESPN Sports Update on the left and the LPGA tournament on the right, I smiled at the bartender and ordered a club soda. One sip into the cold beverage and two other golfers appeared, sitting beside me.

Friendly banter was sparked by a young man asking if I was going out or had just finished. “No, just finished. What a spectacular day,” I retorted. Small golf talk ensued as we continued to enjoy our drinks and casually view the golf professionals making amazing shots and dropping puts. “Wow,” I exclaimed. “These women are extraordinary golfers. Their putting accuracy is incredible.” Now all three of us were intently focused on watching the action. “You know,” began the younger of the two golfers, “I think women are much better putters than men.” In an instant I reflected on what this millennial beside me was inferring. “You’re absolutely right,” I stated. “The feminine energy and spirit is far more sensitive and feeling than most of us men.” Just then the older of the two men piped in, “Huh, that’s really interesting. I think there’s truth in what you’re saying.”

There we were, three men having an insightful conversation around feminine energy and openly showing male vulnerability and a collective observation about female golf professionals that now led into a much broader discussion of the balance between masculine and feminine. “Yeah,” the younger man affirmed, “we (men) think we can just muscle our way through life, that physical strength is the mark of character, even on the golf course.” Quickly the other golfer quipped, “and yet we relegate such a false sense of superiority over women.” Quietly I felt myself in a state of surreal amazement. My experiences throughout my six plus decades, especially when interacting with other men in a sporting venue, have been void of any acknowledgement of our (male) deficiencies as related to women. Yet, there I was with two men I didn’t know engaged in a meaningful discussion about the positive attributes that women bring to our world, qualities that we (men) have in shorter supply.

There are no surprises in life, only unfolding opportunities. I have come to understand by my own unique experiences, that there is an orchestration, a storyboard that is determined by where I place my thoughts, intentions and the choices I make. This day, this interaction was fueled by and constructed with very strong feelings about the balance between masculine and feminine energies, a topic that was in my thoughts earlier in the day. So what does one make of this unusual and unique experience?

At a time when our political and social fabric is in a state of disarray and misogynistic domination, I am challenged on the human scale to make sense of our ever-increasing chasm between rich and poor, white and other, right and wrong, male and female. Even our structures of gender are being called into question as we grapple with an evolving order. Growing up in the 60s and stepping into adulthood in the 70s, I have gained a perspective that allows for a reflective glance at this shift in culture, stereotypes and the changing roles within our separate and unequal society. I am reminded of Riane Eisler’s, The Chalice and the Blade, thesis regarding the ‘dominator culture.’ Presenting an historical and scientific examination of male domination through the millennia, Eisler takes the reader through an elaborate maze of epochs of male dominated violence, killing, destruction and subjugation of women throughout the ages. Combine these truths with our American experience, largely the product of Puritanical religious underpinnings, and you have a thread of understanding as to where we find ourselves in 2017.

And the present world order of separation, polarity, and continued violence leads one to question whether we have the capacity to successfully navigate a pathway to transformational change. But, it starts with me, my thoughts, my actions, and my beliefs. I have come to know how powerful we are energetically when stepping into consciousness, owning our thoughts, choosing light over dark and opening ourselves up to the possibilities of collaboration, equality and love. Yes, love.

There I was with these two men of different generations discussing feminine values and attributes, openly acknowledging differences and embracing our sisters from a positive and affirming manner. That is the mustard seed of change necessary to fuel a different, more compassionate world.