My curiosity with people and thirst for knowledge have me dreaming of starting a podcast someday. I soar at the thought of inviting my favorite human beings and asking them questions to probe their perspective on this intricate world.
(This is particularly true of fellow professionals who happen to be dads, since I benefit greatly from their take on how to navigate a life similar to mine. Although I welcome discourse with a diversity of people from all walks of life.)
Combined with my love of game of golf, and of golf as a platform for spending time with friends, I wonder if I should cosplay as a talk show host while on the course. It seems lovely to record myself talking up playing partners during and in between holes in a relaxed and positive setting.
On that note, here is a partial list of the kinds of questions I like to ask those I golf with, to get to know them better and give them an opportunity to express themselves. If you've played with me, you've probably heard me ask you at least one of the following.
(For further kicks and giggles, I'll provide a bit of my own answers, in italics. I guess my first guest on my talk show is...myself?)
1. If time and money were no object, how often would you play? Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and then hit the range on the weekend.
2. (for folks who were accomplished athletes) What do you bring from your past sports experiences that has been helpful on the golf course. Not for me personally since I wasn't elite in sports, but for my colleagues that were, I've found that no matter what the sport, those former athletes have at least three things in common. One is they have good hands, so they're usually pretty good on and around the green. Two is they have the ability to lock in during their shot, so they are able to execute without distraction or waffling. Three is they know how to take care of their bodies, so they're usually pretty disciplined and prepared when it comes to snacks, hydration, and stretching.
3. Between "Work Lee," "Home Lee," and "Vacation Lee," where are you most the same, and where are you most different? I acknowledge that I often bring my "Work Lee" persona home, and need to check myself if I start barking at the kids. Conversely, they like "Vacation Lee" because I'm much more chill and much more generous, although they also know that if they get too comfortable in ways that get on my nerves, "Work Lee" is never too far away.
4. (if their kids are older) When was the first time your child said to you, "Dad, you were right all along"? Still waiting to hear this
5. What's one lesson you've learned from golf that has broader life implications? For me it's that much of success on the course is figuring out where you can miss and where you can't. Since my shot dispersion is so wide since I'm a novice, I have to decide where to aim in such a way that if I'm way off, which I usually am, I don't put myself in trouble. So, for example, if I'm chipping onto the green, I want to make sure I get on the green even if I leave myself with a long putt, rather than getting too cute and trying to get close to the pin only to not only make it onto the green. There are clearly ways I now think like this as I navigate through the rest of my life.
6. Who among our shared circle of relationships is the best at golf? I love this question because it's fun learning who I know in one way (say, professionally) that is a stud on the golf course.
7. Do you feel like who you are on the golf course is who you are in life? Invariably, and this is my answer as well, people fess up that they get frustrated and lose their cool on the course more than they'd like to admit and certainly more than happens in the rest of their life. Certainly golf is a uniquely frustrating activity, but in another sense because of that it tells me that I do still have a temper even if I've largely learned how to keep it in check in other settings.
8. When did you first start playing and why? I love hearing stories of friends who learned as a kid from their parent or grandparent. As for me, I didn't pick up a club until I was 49, and even then it wasn't for love of the game but rather to be a platform for networking with other business leaders.
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