Your humbling moments

[Hater Depot]

My most recent humbling moment was when I discovered this week that if you haven't done it in 16 years -- when you were 8 years old -- you most certainly CAN forget how to ride a bicycle.

[Ike]

My most humbling moment today was when I realized Hater was 24, and I'm not that far off.

=P

[Hater Depot]

Well then here's another humbling cuz my math is off.. I'm almost 26.. I hope this week gets better.

[Vahz]

You could practice something for years and still be destroyed by a 11 year old with a natural talent.

[Ike]

Well then here's another humbling cuz my math is off.. I'm almost 26.. I hope this week gets better.

Whew. I feel better now. Back to studying for finals...

[Kuroyama]

Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego

Every Sunday a group of Japanese golfers would go play (30 or so people).
I get invited by some of the young members that I play with. Tee time is sunup. I go and try to warm up in and around the group. Before sunup people are kinda in tune to whos there as whos not. When theres only one Black guy in a group of 30 Japanese people... they notice. I could hear them asking around as to who I was or who I knew in the group, but I was focusing on warming up and tried to put those "explanatory" thoughts in the back of my mind. I reasoned that once they saw I had some skill with the clubs, that would be my big "in" regardless of who invited me to their group. BTW this was before Tiger went pro...

So they match up foursomes and I and my friends are in the first group. The sun comes up over the horizon and its go time.

Were taking practice/warm up swings with our drivers. I swing my driver at about 113mph. Its not Tiger speed, but its not slow. So the other golfers are going woosh woosh, when my driver goes WOOSH! Now as if everyone wasnt conscious of my presence before, now Im hearing comments about how strong I must be and how far the ball is gonna fly. 1st tee is set up stadium style. The whole 30some guys and ladies are standing around watching. The first 3 guys hit to about 170-185yards . I can hit 190yards with my 4iron! Im ready to go!

I step up to the ball and do my usual routine. Keep it routine, and youll be fine I think. I set, backswing and WOOSH!

I topped the ball. It went about 1 yard. Never left the tee box.

the ensuing silence was so loud... I heard a rabbit fart on the 6th green... Im sure thats what it was because NOTHING ELSE MADE A PEEP!! After a few seconds of disbeliefe my cart buddy offered me a mulligan. I cant speak for every Japanese golfer, but all my Japanese golf buddies from college NEVER EVER took mulligans. The word mulligan wasnt even accepted speech! We observed every rule in the book no matter how small. If it meant going the hard route then you cowboyed the fuck up and did what you had to! I declined the mulligan and went 7 iron from where I was.

The 7iron put me right in the middle of the other drives. Which is a healthy iron shot.

But I dont think a single person there will ever forget the big Black golfer who WHIFFED at the first tee that day.

To my benefit (in later years) I have never ever gotten nervous on the 1st tee again no matter the stakes, the group, or whos watching. I cant EVER be more embarrassed than I was that day. Knowing that, brings great comfort.

[atlasien]

In high school I used to be a teaching assistant for a special education class of mentally handicapped kids.

The teacher had given me a major assignment in the cooking lab. I was going to teach the kids how to use a can opener. Huge responsibility.

All the kids were gathered around as I stepped up to the counter with the can of beans and the can opener. I gave them a lecture about how opening cans was VERY dangerous, because the lid of the can was very sharp and it could cut you. "Pay a lot of attention when opening a can! Watch where the lid is going!" (they watched me with solemn faces) "It can really hurt you! When you take the lid off the can, be very very veeeeeery careful! Remember, it's sharp! Watch how I do it, then do it the exact same way!"

Then I opened the can of beans and gashed open one of my fingers on the edge of the lid. It really hurt and I had to go the nurse.