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.”

I’m a few days late with May’s Poem of the Month, but I think it is a good one… one worth waiting for.

With Covid-19 there has been an opportunity to sit back and assess the current situations in the world today. Somehow, we’ve been fooling ourselves that things will get better on their own. We seem to think that the economy will turn around; the deaths from the pandemic will lessen all over the world, and we will be able to go back to “the way things were” before Covid broke out.

Well, it’s probably not likely that things will be the same at all. And, the quarantining we’ve all been doing has given some of us an opportunity to take stock of our global situation. Yes, Global! Our country is not in this alone… we share the burden of fixing things with peoples in every culture, every country. And it begins by being honest with ourselves. How do we really feel about things? And, are we being true to what we feel? And, furthermore, are we willing to “Stand Up” and be counted?

Something to ponder…

STAND UP

It takes courage to stand up for what you believe
To be true and honest and right!
Yet, it is said that if you don’t stand up.
Wrong will win out, without a fight.

Have the courage to say “No!” Have the courage to face the truth.
Do the right thing because it is right!
Living your life with integrity takes work,
But do it! Do it with all of your might!

It is said that if you don’t stand for something
You’ll fall for anything that sounds true;
But a wise person proportions his belief to the evidence:
Check your sources, do your homework, take the long view.

In politics, if a party stands for nothing but reelection,
Then it indeed stands for nothing worth much.
The world suffers a lot because of the silence
Of the good people who use timidness as a crutch.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent
About things that matter to us, and to the planet.
We might place ourselves in danger when we stand,
But place our children in greater danger when we don’t.

Oh, one more thing about taking a stand:
Be polite, don’t raise your voice, be firm.
Remember, what you believe will depend on what you are.
Let people know, and if need be, reconfirm.

April 2021’s Poem of the Month is meant to speak of Resilience in both the personal and the collective sense. Torn between a poem about personal resilience and a collective group resilience, I opted to introduce the subject from an angle about which I have some experience… personal resilience.

Mary Oliver’s words resonated with me… I mean, really resonated with me. I know that everything that has happened in my life has made me what I am today!! And it has taken resilience to learn and grow from those setbacks and experiences. To paraphrase a thought shared with me by my daughter, Nicole LaFollette (a wonderful poet): “Like everyone else, I am unique.”

It requires a unique form of resilience to overcome the unique setback, whether personal or collective. And, whatever the problem or setback — personal or collective — resilience to overcome and move forward is the responsibility to keep in mind… a personal or a collective responsibility if we are to move forward — either as an individual or as a society.

Remember this: Whatever the question, love is the answer.

RESILIENCE

“Someone I once loved gave me a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand that it was a gift.”
Mary Oliver said those words. I can now relate.
Back then it was different. I was cast adrift.

“Whatever will I do?” “How can I go on?”
The questions… the questions! Would they ever stop?
Panic, then blaming, then a meltdown or two —
Till the light finally dawned one day in a coffee shop.

Writing my feelings — taking a good hard look,
I realized that any change was entirely up to me.
People around me who were happy in their lives
Were ones who had bounced back from adversity.

Resilience is knowing you’re the only one who has
The power and the responsibility to pick yourself up.
Resilience comes from having been given the chance
To work through problems — a bootstrap pull-up.

Charles Darwin was credited with the following statement
(Sharing it here might actually not be so strange.):
“It’s not the strongest nor the smartest of the species that survive,
But the ones who are most responsive to change.”

The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak
Which can snap in its resistance to the storm.
Staying committed to your decisions, but flexible in your approach,
Your power is the power to actually transform!

Resilience is always within your reach
When troubles occur, and you are stymied.
You simply have to decide, and take charge there and then.
There’s light at the end of the tunnel as you proceed.

How to be resilient in the latter part of a pandemic
Is a question on the minds of many people today.
Individually, we’re struggling to maintain our balance,
With the hope of surviving another day.

Globally, the need for resilience is paramount.
We must focus on the positive things to change our course
(That are in our control, I hasten to add),
Moving always forward, using every resource.