so, i was at the practice putting green the other day, and i was
hitting missing several 20 to 30 foot putts, and eventually i became so frustrated with myself that i pulled out an old mental trick from my youth.
when i was a kid, i had this trick that i used frequently, and it involved putting my mom's life at risk. i would use this trick in lots of different situations - either to make a basket, to get a 90 on a test, to lift something really heavy ("If you can't find the strength to lift this gigantic box over your head, your mom will die!")
incredibly, the trick always seemed to work, at least in memory. putting my mom's life at risk made me a better shooter, a better student, and it made me stronger. through the years, i've kept using it, and to some extent, i've probably overused it. ("if you don't get to the post office before 5 p.m ...")
anyway, i used it again on the putting green, lined up three balls from 25 feet and said to myself, "if you don't make at least one of these, your mom is dead."
i missed them all, and three-putted two of them.
my mom turned 50 last month.
