Monday, April 19, 2010

The Straight and Narrow

My husband and I were talking about Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson this weekend.

We've always had a soft spot for Mickelson. He's a local boy.

What we were talking about his how Tiger was so appealing on the surface. So trim and clean cut, with that dazzling, perfect smile. Mickelson, on the other hand, usually looks like he needs a haircut and could maybe lose a few pounds.

We had just finished watching "Sense and Sensibility" and I was thinking how Jane Austen's books always had one character who was genuinely good, and another who had the appearance of goodness. Think of Wickham and Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice." People were always taken in by the character with the appearance. Eventually, that character is revealed as a cad, and good triumphs.

Of course those are novels. But I couldn't help but think they apply to Woods and Mickelson, particularly after watching the tear roll down Mickelson's face at the end of the Masters, and the tender way he hugged his wife.

One blogger posted his photo with the caption: "This is what love looks like."

Of course, we don't ever really know celebrities. We just feel we do. And Tiger has sought recovery. Redemption is one of our favorite story lines. I hope Tiger truly finds recovery.

Here's what recovery has meant for me. The road narrows. It starts out wide, with lots of twists and turns and detours. After a while the road straightens. Lanes end. The way becomes clear. There is only one direction. The questions narrow to one: What is the right thing to do? The answers become increasingly clear.

Not always. There's still rain and fog that clouds visibility. But the road is there. Straight and true. And if we are patient and cautious enough to wait for the storm to clear, we can stay between the lines.

8 comments:

  1. Reminds me of the Bible verse...man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. I pray that I would be looking at hearts first. :)

    Blessings,
    Tammy

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  2. "The Road Narrows"
    Yes. I believe you are right. It is awfully hard to be around people who are not seeking any form of enlightenment - people who don't even know there is a road. That's what I have found this weekend.

    Even so, It does feel good to know there is a path in front of me.

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  3. So very true. I do unfortunately a lot of judging on the outside rather than the inside. But, I am trying to change with this respect. Great post Kathy, thank you.

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  4. God bless them both....
    I do like Mickelson as well and i don't even follow golf much...there just appears to be an authenticity about him?

    Tiger is an amazing athlete...brilliant in fact...no matter, i like the fact that recovery helps the whole person...warts, wounds, weirdnesses, strengthes...the whole shebang...

    loved it,

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  5. Absolutely impossible to know what someone is like by appearances. I like how you describe your time with your husband and how you talk about things going on around you.

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  6. Being patient and cautious, two good words to describe how we should proceed. I find when I am lacking in one or the other I end up falling. Praise God He's there to pick me back up and put me back on the road!
    Woods/Mickelson: it does make you stop and think how appearances can be deceiving in influencing perception of a person's inside.
    God bless.

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  7. It's something we need to remind ourselves of regularly.. appearances can be deceiving.

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  8. I like the image of the narrowing path.

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