A Mulligan, Please
If you're not a golfer, you may not be familiar with the term “Mulligan” which originated with the Canadian David Mulligan. It just means a second chance on the first shot of a golf round. Although professional golfers don't have access to this bonus, it seems reasonable to me and it is used widely by amateurs.
You know in all fairness, it seems that a man, or for that matter, a woman ought to be given a second chance, you know like a Mulligan in golf. You only get one Mulligan in golf, and I'd find that acceptable in life. Of course that's not the way life works. Our lives are like pencils with no erasers. Whatever we do, whatever we screw up, good or bad, is part of our history…forever.
Although there is not a lot I regret, there are a few. If only…if only we could pick a moment to wipe from our history and get a redo for that moment. Personally, I'd have a hard time choosing one particular moment.
However, if we erase a bad moment, we'll probably be erasing a lot of good stuff too and alter what the following years were like---not necessarily for the good. Oh, well, I guess I'll keep all my moments and move merrily on my way with whatever time on earth I have left.
If Charley Manson would choose a moment to call a Mulligan on, it would be the moment he encouraged his minions to kill perfectly good people for no apparent reason. Charley always comes to mind when I think of folks who have made particularly bad decisions.
Every day some folks are killed simply because they were there…wrong place, wrong time. They are deserving of a redo.
Accidents occur to end people's lives on a regular basis…redo.
Innocent infants are killed on a regular basis…redo.
Natural disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, forest fires take the innocent also…redo.
Sometimes we do stupid and even evil things. This even happens to folks who are not stupid on a regular basis and who usually resist their impulses to be evil.
Could we have Mulligans please…no. Being that Mulligans are not available, guard you hearts and souls well. Once written it is always there to be read.
Perhaps I should have been a Buddist. They believe in reincarnation---what a deal. You get to start all over again with a new life. However, you might be reincarnated as a snail or toad or catfish. Not a real attractive prospects.
Oh, well, I guess we tee up in life and swing away, no second chances. We'd probably use our Mulligan for the first problem that came along like an F on a second grade math test. Oops.
enough