Keeping It Real, Defined

I like to bowl, particularly compared to golf. Bowling is cheaper, more of my friends can pick up a bowling ball and roll. Bowling isn’t seasonal. It will take a minimal investment of time and money to get respectable at bowling. Investing seriously in bowling will cost a ball and a glove: maybe $100.

Golf is expensive. It’s seasonal. Fewer of my friends will play it. It will take a large time and financial investment for me to get respectable at it. I’d also have to acquire my own clubs, which are several hundred dollars.

Here’s my dilemma. This morning, I received my third request for work-related golf in the last month. I have never heard of anyone playing work-related bowling. You just don’t see too many business deals going down at the local bowling alley.

Frankly, I couldn’t care less that bowling offers a minimal business atmosphere. It’s actually a bit refreshing. Nonetheless, I do have an obligation to my employer to be a conduit for new business. That doesn’t mean I drop every penny I have on golf lessons and clubs. It does mean I have to consider said conduicity in my social engagements. Once again, I’m cool with that.

I like to keep things real. Keeping it real, to me, is all about staying true to one’s principles, thus paving the way to prudence, temperance, and other virtue. For work-related purposes, it may be wise to ask for golf lessons. While that wouldn’t be a bad idea, I’d prefer to spend my time and energy getting good at bowling. Does going the golf route mean I’m note keeping it real, if I can only have one?