Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Mini-Victory

This particular post is difficult for me to write because I am going to boast, and maybe even gloat, both unpleasant characteristics, I know. Even so, here goes: I am awesome at miniature golf. I don’t know why I am, but I am. I play mini-golf once a year when I visit my family at the ancestral home, and that is quite enough for me, so perhaps I shouldn’t quit my day job just yet and go on the professional mini-golf circuit.

This bizarre discussion of mini-golf is not entirely off topic for this blog. At the mini-golf course where my family and I recently played, the best scores for men and women are listed separately. I think this is strange because mini-golf isn’t like real golf, in which strength is relevant. Even so, during my recent visits to this particular course, the men’s score was typically better than the women’s score. That is, until I played an incredible round, got numerous holes-in-one, and came in well below par for the course. I was just happy to have beaten my brother, but when my name was written on the board as the woman with the best score, and my score was significantly lower (i.e. better) than the men’s, my daughter was ecstatic. She danced around, singing “You’re better than all the men!”. Mini-golf is very quantitative and unambiguous, so this statement could not be disputed within its context. So much, however, for the simple thrill of having gotten a little purple ball past a windmill, a fake stalactite, and some boulders: perhaps I also inspired female mini-golfers on that course for at least a day or two. Female Science Professor Sans Frontieres..

13 comments:

  1. Keeping your previous posts in mind where you describe your family I'm kinda curious about their reactions to your victory?

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  2. Yeah, but you were probably teeing off from the ladies' tees.

    :)

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  3. You're a Knockout!






    (for anyone who doesn't get it)

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  4. That's fantastic. The best thing is that your daughter--just out of excitement, it sounds like--made sure that the comparison was broadcast, which you're too polite to do.

    That totally makes my day.

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  5. The story made me smile.

    It certainly wasn't a show of unpleasant characteristics of boasting. I found it to be a humble boast. :)

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  6. Drive for show, putt for dough!

    I like it. I like it a lot.

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  7. hypoglycemiagirl - oh yes, the Family Reaction to my awesomeness at mini-golf.. I would say it is variable. The aunts think it is great, my mother thinks the whole thing is bizarre and not serious (not serious! mini-golf!), and The Men think it is random luck that I do well (year after year..). Only one male relative *jokingly* hinted that perhaps I cheated, but fortunately for me and my mini-golf reputation, there were witnesses to the game.

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  8. Like ordinarygirl, this story made me smile. You go, girl! :-)

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  9. Gloat like this as often as possible! It makes me happy.

    But kind of I wish you hadn't answered hypoglycemiagirl's question.

    Very typical that when women succeed consistently, the men say it must be either luck or cheating, right?

    God forbid we should be good at anything, much less better than they are!

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  10. ms. phd,

    "Very typical that when women succeed consistently, the men say it must be either luck or cheating, right?"

    Now, now -- please don't generalize. We aren't all horses' behinds ('though some of FSP's relatives seem to be)...

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  11. This made me smile. Congrats on the great score and I'm glad your daughter got to see it!

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