Golf balls of life;my daughter; Tessanne

Egerton Chang

A professor stood before his philosophy class and hid some items behind his desk.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He again asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, with a slight shake, the sand filled up everywhere else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students laughed and responded with a unanimous 'yes'.

The professor then produced two beers from under the desk and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed loudly.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognise that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your health, your best friends and your favourite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

"The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff. However, if you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner or a movie. Play another 18 or another round of dominoes. There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn. Take care of the golf balls first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked. The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers with a friend."

- Anonymous. (Sent to me via Facebook by my eldest daughter).

MY DAUGHTER

Which brings me to my life.

Around 14 years ago when I had just moved into my new abode, I decided to refinish the wood floor. The floor was meticulously finely sanded and revarnished.

Now, even though the instructions provided for a shorter drying time, I decided to allow a longer period to ensure the floor was 'properly' finished. I had told my children to use another route to get to their rooms and had even placed obstacles in the way to help prevent anyone from walking on the freshly painted wood floor.

My (second) daughter, who was around eight to nine years old at the time, came home from school, forgot and proceeded to walk on the still-drying wood floor.

I was so upset that I scolded her angrily and (I think) may have even inflicted some corporal punishment.

Fast-forward four years. My daughter, who was by then in the third form at St Andrew High School for Girls, was asked to write a small piece for a magazine for MRC Learning Centre where she was taking extra lessons in English.

LOVED THE FLOOR MORE

She wrote a short essay which was indeed published. It culminated in, "My father loved the floor more than me." She had remembered the incident. That experience was so indelibly etched on her mind that she would not, could not, forget.

I was embarrassed. Fortunately, she knows that I have always loved her, even for that instant when I forgot about the priorities that were important to me.

Remember the golf balls from the professor's philosophy lecture. "The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your health, your best friends and your favorite passions - and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full."

Conversely, if you lose even one golf ball, your life will never be full.

Never forget that.

TEAM TESSANNE

As my column is published once per month (normally on the third Sunday), this is my first opportunity to say, "I told you so."

From my column, 'Bet in moderation; and Tessanne', published October 20, 2013, I wrote, "I, for one, say she is only a big fish in a small pond. The Voice affords her the opportunity to be a big fish in a big ocean." Continuing, I said, "While she has far more battles to win, she has improved her stock significantly thus far."

Then in my next column published November 24, 2013, I wrote, "I am looking for her to make the finals and to win, but I am also mindful of a number of factors that might make this extremely difficult. Chief of which is being un-American - meaning, not from America." I also said, "Again, while Tessanne's power and command were enough to carry her through, her song selection was not the best."

In a column titled 'Tessanne needs an iconic song', published December 9, 2013, even while I was already celebrating, I bemoaned the need for Tessanne to perform an iconic song. I wrote, "This only emphasises my call for Adam to find an iconic song for Tessanne."

Finally, in my column published December 15, 2013, I wrote, "Now it is left for Team Adam to find another iconic classic." And, "Perhaps, at this stage, it will not matter which song she sings. She will be the winner."

I concluded thusly, "I plan to go to a Tessanne victory party to celebrate on Tuesday, December 17, 2013. Where will you be heading?"

Tessanne, you have won the 'Voice' battle, but now you need to win the recording wars. I look forward to you becoming as big a star as Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and, need we pray, Beyoncé. Good luck!

Egerton Chang is a businessman. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and e_rider69@hotmail.com.