It's Mulligan Time

Now that the nation… heck, the world… is beginning to open up again, it occurred to me that perhaps this is a good time to think about trying to get a few things right in our lives. Being in lock-down — whether self-imposed or not — gave one pause… time to really take a good look at things and think about how to fix them… or change them for the better.

What comes to mind is the famous do-over in the golf world… the Mulligan. Nobody is quite sure of the origin of the term “Mulligan,” but the most plausible involves golfers by that name. The USGA Museum mentions a fellow by the name of David Mulligan who frequented St. Lambert Country Club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada during the 1920s.

Mulligan hit a golf ball off the tee one day, wasn’t happy with the results, re-teed and hit again. According to the story he called it a “correction shot,” but his buddies thought a better name was needed, and dubbed it a “Mulligan.”

Mulligans are never allowed under the rules of golf, but informally many golfers allow them, (at least on the first tee).

So, let’s take a look at our own first shots, and decide if they need a re-do. For me, this time in lockdown has offered an opportunity to see where some corrections were needed, and act upon them. (More details will probably come out in later poems.)

I offer my poem, “It’s Mulligan Time” for your pleasure. I hope you enjoy it.

IT'S MULLIGAN TIME
(Do-overs, Restarts, Plot Twists)

I wish my book of life was written in pencil;
There are a few pages I would like to erase —
A pandemic, an election, the divisiveness of beliefs —
Yet, doing 2020 over will not likely be the case.

Rewinding time is, unfortunately, not possible.
What’s done is done; our mistakes are behind us.
Though, sometimes one can get another chance to do it right
And correct the mistake with not too much fuss.

You can have a do-over starting today,
But you must clear your mind of all negative thoughts.
You must get over the feeling that it is too late;
Then do it. That’s right… give it your best shot!

Progress is the key word here, I think —
It’s okay to have setbacks when the going is hard.
Draw a line in the sand, and start over again…
And again… if you have to, moving constantly forward.

Albert Einstein is credited with more than science,
And understanding his definition of insanity is not difficult.
It’s simply doing the same thing over and over again,
And each time expecting different results.

So, don’t do it the same way. Be creative and open
To new ways of correcting the wrongs.
It’s not always about fixing something broken…
It’s about starting over and “singing new songs.”