Master the Moment
Sunday afternoon, I found myself mesmerized once again by the Masters. It’s hard to describe what it is about the tournament that draws me in most years, compared to other tournaments that I’m barely aware of. The skill of the players to manipulate that small ball through fairways and onto greens is a work of art, but the Master’s mystique is more than that. It’s the precision to detail and the respect Augusta National embodies that make it a unique experience. I’ve never been, but you can feel it through the television more than in other sporting events. In the days following this year’s Masters, I discovered another reason why the event is iconic. It’s another reason I’ll be a fan forever!
Monday morning, there was a viral post of a captured Master’s moment. In that moment, Rory McIlroy had just sunk the final putt to win with a sea of people malleably packed around the perimeter of the green. As the ball clanked securely in the 4 1/4” hole, a multitude of hands went up freely towards the heavens! Thousands of free hands raised high in celebratory adulation for an extraordinary feat, conquering the Masters as a repeat champion.
The photo was incredible, a piece of art itself. But it wasn’t the beauty of the photo that sent it viral. It was a missing object that captured the attention. The Masters photo was presented next to a photo captured at the NBA Finals, and this close comparison made the missing object obviously clear. In the multitude of hands surrounding the Masters moment, there was not a single phone to be found. Both hands were up, faces smiling, and you could see each patron lost in the moment. In the NBA final photo, you can barely make out a face in the crowd. Why? People are trying so hard to capture the moment with their phone, they’re missing the moment.
I had to learn more. I had no idea that the Masters had a strict no-cell phone policy on the premises. It’s rumored that a former PGA Champion was removed this year because he thought the policy didn’t apply. Wow! According to the Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, they prioritize the game and the players and ask the patrons to follow suit. Or leave! You can have your cell phone, just not at Augusta National (home of the Masters).
If you’re like me, it’s increasingly challenging to stay grounded in the moment. As I observed the unobstructed hands raised high at the Masters, I was thrilled and grieved to consider the elusive present and how it is easily missed! Our culture is so obsessed with capturing the moment that it slips through our hands. It’s ironic that a golf course is one of the last remaining sanctuaries from a distraction-free zone. No texts, no calls, no photos, just a person’s eyes, ears, smell, feeling (oh, you better believe I’m taking off my shoe and rubbing my foot on a fairway if I’m ever at the Masters), and taste. The epitome of living life in the moment.
The Psalmist declared:
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24
There are times and places to capture a moment, but let’s not forget to actually live it. Every day is Taylor Made (if you’re a golf fan) with ample blessings from the Lord. The challenge is recognizing them in the moment. Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery. Let’s not miss out on the present.