CROQUET IS NOT A VERY POPULAR SPORT. IT WAS IN ONE OLYMPICS IN PARIS IN 1900 AND THE FRENCH WON ALL THE MEDALS. THE GAME HAS NEVER BEEN IN THE OLYMPICS AGAIN BUT STILL MILDLY POPULAR IN ENGLAND. MAYBE THAT IS WHY OUR FAMILY PLAYED THE GAME. IT WAS CONSIDERED A ARISTOCRATIC GAME IN THE “OLD DAYS” AND MAYBE THAT IS THE ONE THING WE COULD DO THAT WAS PSEUDO ARISTOCRATIC.  MAINLY THOUGH… IT WAS JUST FUN !!

THE EQUIPMENT CONSISTED OF WOODEN MALLETS, WIRE WICKETS THAT STUCK IN THE GROUND.  2 -WOODEN STAKES TO DRIVE THROUGH THE VAMPIRES HEARTS.  WAIT….. THAT IS NOT RIGHT. (I AM MIXING OLD FAMILY STORIES.) SORRY.    THE WOODEN STAKES WERE AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF THE COURSE AND YOUR BALL HAD TO GO THROUGH THE PROPER SEQUENCE OF THE HOOPS AND STRIKE THE STAKE TO SCORE. IT CAN BE PLAYED BY ANYONE AND IS SIMPLE AND FUN. THERE ARE RULES THAT CAN BE MODIFIED. FOR MANY YEARS I HAVE REFLECTED ON CROQUET AS BEING A REFLECTION OF OUR LIVES.  ALL OF OUR LIVES.  HERE IS WHY…..   WE ALL TRAVEL THE PATH OF LIFE. OUR INDIVIDUAL PATHS ARE DETERMINED BY OUR CHOICES.  KARMA, TRAJEDY, SUCCESS, FATE, LUCK, BAD LUCK, FAITH BUT ULTIMATELY WE ALL HAVE A DATE OF BIRTH (maybe rebirth) and then a bunch of stuff that happens in the middle. THEN WE ALL HAVE A DATE OF DEATH. Birth and Death I do not believe we have much control over. The only partial control we get is SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE….   IT IS THE GAME OF LIFE AND LIFE IS A SERIOUS GAME. WE GET LOTS OF CHANCES TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES AND SOMETIMES WE DO MAKE WRONG CHOICES AND WE ARE FORCED TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES.  WHO AND WHAT WE ARE DURING AND AFTER LIFE ITSELF IS DETERMINED BY OUR BEHAVIOR IN LIFE AND MAYBE A PERPETUAL BIRTH LIFE DEATH CYCLE AND MANY EASTERN RELIGIONS BELIEVE WE HAVE A CHOICE TO ESCAPE THAT CYCLE AND ACHIEVE A MORE PERFECT STATE OF MIND AND SERENITY.  EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT BUT WE HUMANS ARE ALL PRETTY SIMILAR.  WE ALL SLEEP ABOUT 1/3 OF OUR LIVES AWAY, WE WORK ABOUT 1/3 OF OUR TIME AND SOME OF US ALOT MORE ! AND THE LAST 1/3 OF OUR TIME IS SPENT WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, ENTERTAINMENT AND RELAXATION.  THERE ARE HOWEVER, MANY PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET TRYING JUST TO FIND ANYTHING EDIBLE AND SOME CLEAN DRINKING WATER ON A GOOD DAY…THEY SURVIVE.

     ON THIS SUBJECT, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND MY LIFE LONG RELATIONSHIP STRUGGLE WITH CROQUET AND GOD. IN THIS GAME OF LIFE also known as CROQUET. I do not think my life or my thoughts are any more or any less relevent than any other person on this planet. I know that as I travel down THE WAY of Life, every time I have helped another traveler even in a little way, it has come back to me in generous and mysterious ways. It took me a while before I reallly “GOT IT” . The biggest payback was the way it made me feel when I was able to do even a very little thing for someone. I always open doors for women and kids. It is a respect thing. I thank my mother and grandmothers for that. If a woman drops something, pick it up and give it to her. I was taught that you do not need to have money in order to be polite. I learned that also in the CUB SCOUTS !  In spite of my early teachings, my early life as a young man was folly and rebellious. My rebellious relationship with God took me to some dark depression and near death experiences that were touch and go.  True Men should respect and protect all women and all children. Why ? Just because it is the right thing to do!                                                                                     Croquet and my early relationship with God was difficult. I was also rebellious youth. I made my path more difficult than necessary. My life became a croquet game. I was the croquet ball. God was the guy with the big mallet.  When I did not go through the CORRECT wickets, God would just smack me around with his mallet until I went through the correct hoop. And lets face it, we all have to jump through hoops in this life. I hit bottom face first more than once. We are all children of God. I was rebellious with God as a young man. We came to a “deal”.  I will try and do the best I can every day and do what is right and true and also to try to be a “positive” in this sometimes very “negative” world. IF I BREAK THAT PROMISE… God will break out the croquet mallet again. I have no desire to go there. I know I was saved by the GRACE of GOD (and my wife).  RELIGION IS LIKE A BIG 1 MILLION PIECE MOSAIC PUZZLE AND THE PUZZLE PARTS ARE SCATTERED ALL ACROSS THE PLANET.  IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER, I THINK WE WILL BE MOVING IN A GOOD DIRECTION.              I AM GOING TO TRY AND BE A BETTER,KINDER PERSON EVERY DAY. WILL YOU JOIN ME ? WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD BY JUST CHANGING OURSELVES a little. YOU DON’T HAVE SPEND A PENNY OR BUY A TICKET.  THANK YOU TO ALL THE WARM AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE THAT VIEW THIS BLOG !!  I AM TRUELY HUMBLED. my personal e-mail is:         dockbaker1@gmail.com             PEACE

Psalms 33

marc