Today, My Golf Bag Stayed Home

Today, my golf bag stayed home.

Instead, a 20-liter sprayer rode in the back of my car.

I drove to my Hwangchil tree field, where I have been taking care of my trees for the past seven years.

I spent about two hours spraying weeds and cleaning around the trees.

To many people, two hours may not sound like much.

But during Korea's rainy season, those two hours feel much longer.

The weather is hot, humid, and exhausting.

Before I even leave home, I already know how hard the work will be.

Interestingly, winter and spring are different.

Working in the field during those seasons is actually enjoyable.

The air is cool, and the trees seem to grow quietly with me.

Summer tells a different story.

The weeds grow incredibly fast.

If I ignore them for just a few weeks, they quickly take over the field.

Nature never takes a vacation.

So neither can the person who cares for it.

Fortunately, experience has helped me.

Handling a 20-liter sprayer no longer feels difficult.

But it wasn't always that way.

It took me almost five years to learn how to work efficiently and care for my trees with confidence.

Experience doesn't always make the work easier.

Sometimes, it simply teaches us how to do difficult work more wisely.

Today also reminded me how much I respect farmers.

Every profession has its own challenges.

Teaching English keeps my mind busy and brings me joy.

Farming demands something different.

It asks for patience, endurance, and faith.

A farmer spends an entire year caring for trees without knowing what the final harvest will bring.

A typhoon may come.

Heavy rain may damage the fruit.

The market price may fall.

Even after doing everything right, nature still has the final say.

That is why I deeply respect people who make their living from the land.

As I worked today, I also thought about my parents.

They raised six children while working hard in our citrus orchard.

My father was an elementary school principal, but my mother spent countless hours taking care of the orchard herself.

I believe they worked so hard because they wanted their children to have more choices than they had.

Because of their sacrifices, I now enjoy a life where I can teach students, write stories, walk my dogs, and play golf with gratitude.

Golf under the summer sun feels enjoyable.

Working in a field under the same sun feels completely different.

That difference makes me appreciate both even more.

Then I realized something.

Golf and farming have more in common than I once thought.

You cannot rush either one.

You cannot force good results.

You simply prepare well, stay patient, and trust that today's work will become tomorrow's reward.

Today, my golf clubs rested at home.

But I was still practicing something golf has been teaching me all along—

Patience.

Consistency.

Gratitude.

Perhaps that was today's most valuable round.

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KR Summary

오늘은 골프백 대신 20리터 제초통을 차에 싣고 7년째 가꾸고 있는 황칠나무 밭을 다녀왔다. 겨울과 봄에는 밭일이 오히려 즐겁지만, 장마철 여름은 무더위와 습기로 가기 전부터 마음을 먹어야 할 만큼 힘들다. 하지만 잡초는 여름에 가장 빨리 자라기 때문에 꾸준히 관리해야 한다. 처음에는 서툴렀지만, 약 5년 동안 경험을 쌓으며 제초 작업도 익숙해졌다.

오늘 밭에서 일하며 농사를 생업으로 하는 분들에 대한 존경심이 더욱 커졌다. 자연을 상대로 한 일은 결과를 예측할 수 없기에 더욱 큰 인내와 책임이 필요하다. 부모님께서 귤농사를 지으며 흘리신 땀 덕분에 지금의 내가 있다는 사실도 다시 떠올랐다.

골프와 농사는 의외로 닮아 있다. 서두른다고 좋은 결과가 나오지 않고, 오늘 해야 할 일을 묵묵히 해 나가야 내일의 결실을 기대할 수 있다. 오늘은 골프를 치지 않았지만, 인내와 꾸준함, 그리고 감사라는 골프의 가장 중요한 가치를 또 한 번 연습한 하루였다.

"Welcome! Here, you'll find easy golf English and real conversations. Enjoy your journey, one story at a time."