One Swing Philosophy — What Golf Taught Me About Life

I used to think that after turning 60, I wouldn’t have many reasons to feel excited about tomorrow. But lately, I’ve been looking forward to tomorrow more than I expected. There are actually two things that make me excited these days. One is golf . The other is my blog . ⛳🌏 First — My Next Golf Shot I had so much fun practicing golf today. For a while, my 5-wood hadn’t been working well during my rounds. Last year, I could hit my 5-wood about 170 meters with a really satisfying strike. But at some point, I lost that feeling. I couldn’t figure out exactly why. Today, though, I think I finally found a small clue. I started to understand when to add power and when to relax, how my shoulders and body should rotate, and how everything should come together at impact. Of course, I still hit some bad shots today. 😂 But strangely, that made practice even more fun. I thought, “Maybe I can finally solve this swing puzzle.” I have no idea whether today’s new feeling will show up in tomorrow’s ro...

Maybe the best part of my life is happening now. When I was younger, I had quite a few romantic ideas about marriage. Living with someone, supporting each other, loving each other, and building a life together. I think I once believed that was what a complete life was supposed to look like. I also spent quite a bit of time wondering, “Who is my other half?” Looking back, I realize I wandered emotionally more than I knew at the time. But now, when I look back, I sometimes think my father understood me better than I understood myself. My father passed away last year at the age of 90. When I was studying in the United States, I remember having one phone conversation with him. My father was a very quiet man. He wasn't someone who talked much. So when I called home, I usually chatted away with my mother, while my father quietly listened nearby. But that day, my father said something to me. “My daughter, I think you shouldn't get married. But you should definitely fall in love.” At t...

This morning, I was sitting in my living room, working on my notebook. I was quietly focused on my computer when I suddenly felt something. I looked up. Ruby was sitting on her bed, watching me. It wasn't unusual. Ruby often watches me like that. But this time, I stopped what I was doing and looked back into her eyes. We just looked at each other for a brief moment. Maybe a minute. Nothing special was happening. She didn't want food. She didn't want to go for a walk. She wasn't asking me for anything. She was simply looking at me. And I looked back at her warmly. Then I turned back to my computer and continued writing. About a minute later, I happened to look over at her again. Ruby's head had slowly fallen down. She was already asleep. I smiled. That's all that happened. But somehow, that one little moment touched me deeply. To be honest, I wasn't always someone who particularly loved dogs. When Ruby and Rich first became part of my l...

My body was still a little achy this morning. I have a regular golf group round coming up on Monday, and I wanted to go to the driving range today. In the past, I probably would have followed my schedule anyway. “I'm playing golf on Monday, so I should practice today.” But this morning, my body seemed to be saying something different. “Take it easy today.” So I slept for most of the morning. And surprisingly, after getting enough sleep, I woke up feeling great. I looked at myself in the mirror and gave myself a little smile. “Maybe I'm still young after all.” 😂 After taking my dogs for a short walk, I went to the local market. I bought some seeds and seedlings for my winter garden—Chinese cabbage, young radish, and lettuce. I also picked up seeds for cilantro and chicory. And, of course, I couldn't resist an old favorite. A hotteok. I also brought home some jokbal, Korean-style braised pig's feet, for lunch. I had it with rice, salad, and kimchi. My dogs got a little ...

I don't think I have more luck than other people. I think I've simply learned how to notice it. We often hear that everyone gets a few big strokes of luck in life. But these days, I wonder if luck comes to us much more often than that. Maybe many of our lucky moments are just too small to notice. For me, a good cup of coffee can be a little piece of luck. A delicious meal shared with someone I like can be a little piece of luck. A beautiful golf shot that comes unexpectedly can be a little piece of luck. Even a funny scene at a swimming pool can become a little piece of luck. Yesterday, for example, I saw several senior swimmers secretly following an aqua exercise class from a distance. They knew they weren't actually part of the class, and they were smiling as they copied every movement. It was so funny that I started laughing to myself. And then, without even realizing it, I started following along with them in the water. Yes, I joined their little secret lesson, too. ㅎㅎ ...

After playing golf for a long time, I think every golfer has had this thought at least once: “I think I've finally figured out my swing.” I did, too. For a while, I was playing pretty well even without practicing much. My shots were good, my swing felt comfortable, and I started to become a little too confident. At one point, I honestly thought: “Maybe I've conquered my golf swing.” Now that I think about it, that's hilarious. 😂 I mean, I'm an amateur golfer! If Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, or Adam Scott had heard me say, “I think I've conquered golf,” I wonder what they would have thought. They might have looked at each other and said, “You conquered golf?” 😳 And then quietly thought, “This woman must be joking.” 😂😂😂 The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it sounds. But that ridiculous thought taught me something important. Golf is not an easy sport to conquer. When I stopped practicing regularly, my shots slowly became less consisten...

I Dreamed of Becoming Capable Enough to Protect My Own Life and Kind Enough to Help Others Along the Way. When I was younger, I worked hard. Like many people, I wanted to succeed. I wanted to learn, grow, and become better at what I did. Over the years, I worked in different roles, met different people, and experienced different challenges. Looking back, however, I realize something important. I never dreamed of becoming powerful. I was not chasing status for its own sake. I was not trying to become someone important. What I truly wanted was much simpler. I wanted to become capable enough to protect my own life. I wanted the freedom that comes from competence. The ability to solve problems. The confidence to stand on my own feet. The wisdom to make decisions without constantly depending on others. Perhaps that was why I worked so hard during those years. Not because I wanted power. But because I wanted independence. Today, my life looks much quieter. I spend time with my two dogs. I pl...

At the beginning of this week, I didn't have any special plans. The rainy season had just begun, and the weather forecast called for rain throughout the week. I thought it would be a quiet, uneventful few days. But life has a funny way of surprising us. Yesterday, I was unexpectedly invited to play golf with good people. That same evening, my younger sister quietly sent me a box of fresh corn and vegetables without saying much. Earlier in the week, I also received a call from the police asking if I could help as an interpreter. Normally, I wouldn't have been available in the evening, but because it was exam week, my schedule happened to be open at exactly the right time. Sometimes I feel that life brings me unexpected blessings more often than hardships. When I was young, my mother often joked that I had been born with good financial luck. Believe it or not, she said that on the very day I was born, my father won a lottery prize and brought home more money than usual. Whether t...