Tee Time

 

     Kara's been busy. She's been asking for a set of plastic golf clubs from the store, and I have been insistent that she's too old and wouldn't have fun with them. So a roll of duct tape and a few sticks were all she needed to make her own set of golf clubs. They're not exactly functional, when using golf clubs of this sort getting the ball off the tee is difficult.  But then, it 's always been difficult for me with real clubs. When Kara had her clubs finished she wondered if I would help her sew a golf bag. Rather, she came and told me she had the sewing machine all set up and would I just thread the needle for her. I asked if, maybe, she'd like a little help designing a golf bag. I set aside my plans for the morning, and gave my daughter that time. We used fabric that's been sitting around for 14 years. I've been tempted to clean out those fabric boxes, but see, now I'm glad I didn't. She ironed and stitched, with mom hovering nearby. She knew the bag needed three pockets and a strap. Her sense of scale was off, her original measurements being close to the size of a 33 gallon trash bag. When we were done, she was off for a little tee time in the backyard.

     Now she seems to be keeping her eyes open for a country club that will let her play. We laugh. At lunch Ally was teasing her because Kara rarely plays with her toys. "I play with my golf clubs," she hotly defended herself. I know she won't play with them in the WPGA, she might not play with them next week. Phil Mickelson won't be calling to learn the secret of the clubs. This is something better. This is a girl making an idea come to life. This is creativity and ingenuity. This is real life learning, sewing skills, in a high interest context. There's not a better use of my time, even if the end product doesn't look like much to the untrained eye.