The Prodigal Dad

I may have accidentally bought 3 new golf clubs yesterday. Kelsey doesn’t know yet. I have found more marital harmony in life though if I confess to these things before the packages start coming to the door. To my credit there are worse things that I could have bought. I do fear though that I may turn into a prodigal dad, squandering my children’s inheritance on a new set of sticks.

Healing the Mind

My brother Levi recently ranked me as second most mentally stable Barber brother. He referred to me as “stoic”. I had to remind myself what Webster said about that to see if I should be offended or not. I think Oxford describes it best:

Stoic- “A person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining”

-Oxford Dictionary

I was flattered by his choice of words for me. I am not sure if stoicism is counted as heroic or distasteful but it probably adequately describes my mental health. At some point health care professionals are forced to adopt stoicism as a way of life or their careers become painfully short. This has definitely true during Covid.

5 Months

Few have likely noticed my 5 month hiatus from GolferMD.com. Most have wished it were permanent. It probably would have been if I didn’t have to tell Kelsey about my new purchases. Sometimes these discussions are best left to the written word. In truth, my absence was delightful. I don’t even think I checked my website for the past 5 months.

A few days ago I got on Facebook for the first time in months to try and sell some stuff (I needed $ for my new clubs). A friend texted me wondering if we were having marital problems. Lol. Maybe we will after this post, but I think we’re doing ok Nick.

Anyways, the first advertisement that popped up on Facebook was for a seminar on how to stop yelling at your kids. Apparently Facebook has been listening in despite my absence. I don’t consider myself a yeller or an angry person. I have been wound so tight in the last 5 months at work that apparently it is leaking over into life at home. My stoicsim is collapsing.

A Flaming Skull

Several months ago I got an unexpected email from a national physicians group that employs me. They wanted to thank me for a job well done and said they would be sending a token of appreciation. The next day I got the above coin in the mail. LOL. I still am in disbelief. I have no idea how to interpret this ”token of appreciation”. Not quite the Christmas bonus I was hoping for. When I think of the prodigal dad, this is the image that comes to mind.

Prodigal

Prodigal – “spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant”

Oxford Dictionary

Maybe others look at me and would describe me this way. When it comes to my golf expenditures it is fairly accurate. I try to not make this a description of my daily life however. Sorry kids, no boat this year. Your prodigal dad is tightening things up. They say that money can’t buy happiness. Sometimes a straight drive down the fairway will though.

About Me

I am a husband, father, ER doctor, and an avid golfer. I ended 2021 with a handicap of 2.0. With my 3 new clubs I’ll be scratch by the end of 2022. Thanks for understanding Honey.