"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"Derek Andrews" wrote: (clip)I once tried my hand at golf. I quiet
fancied
whacking a ball around a field. But everyone else took it so damn
serious.
They worried about how they held the club and how many whacks it took to
get around the course. For me that ruined the experience and I never went
back. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I am not a golfer, so maybe I don't "get it," but I don't see how you can
expect golf to be interesting if you take away the purpose of the game.
"How many whacks it took to get around the course" is what the game is
about. You might as well drive the Indy 500 as a Sunday drive, or play
tennis without trying to defeat your opponent. On the other hand, I'm
happy
as can be riding my bicycle without racing against anyone.

Woodturning can be like a competive sport, if you want it to be, where you
get your enjoyment from outdoing other turners, and winning blue ribbons.
Or it can be a fun activity, where you just do what you enjoy, and maybe
give the pieces away to family and friends. Or it can be a part of a more
general shop activity, where you use the lathe to make things round, for
purposes of construction or repair.



Perhaps Derek was measuring himself against the task rather than the others
("outdoing"), gaining pleasure from the experience, not yelling fore, taking
five and writing three.

I think the ones whose teeth were gritted, stomachs churning and temper
flaring as they pursued par or better, or who had to remind themselves over
and over to relax are the ones who have lost sight of the purpose of the
game.