Yesterday I played with Mark and Sandra Shirkey and I was surprised by how much they have improved their game. Especially Sandra. She pointed with such exquisite precision that she set old-timers’ tongues wagging.
She was called “emmerdeuse” which in our perverse way of speaking is a high mark of esteem. Once you have been consecrated “emmerdeur” or “emmerdeuse” you are like “made men”, full members of the clan.
“Other common names for members include man of honor (Italian: uomo d’onore), man of respect (Italian: uomo di rispetto), one of us, friend of ours, good fella, and wiseguy.”
Mark and Sandra joined our club about 3 years ago and they are both relative newcomers to the game, but through hard work and dedication, they have slowly risen to the top.
It is no surprise. They worked very hard at it. There is an American expression that says “Practice makes perfect” but I prefer by far its French equivalent which goes:
« C’est en forgeant qu’on devient forgeron. » (It is by working with hot iron that you become a blacksmith).
Isn’t it so much more poetic?
Mark and Sandra both remind me very much of esteemed Calvert and Henry whom I called a “dynamic duo”. I remember writing about them a few years ago in the same vein. When they joined our club in 2012, they were novices. But through plenty of practice and dedication, they became a power couple to be reckoned with.
Both couples mingled and practiced regularly with different clubs on different fields, and this gave them the experience and the confidence to compete with more experienced players.
As I often said, there is no substitute for hard work. If you want to excel, you have to put in the time. The more you practice the better you will be.
Mark and Sandra also recently traveled to Portland and I understand that they did pretty well. Unfortunately I don’t have the details of this soggy affair.
In their own quiet way, they have been instrumental in improving our field and reshaping our procedures. They also upped their game and helped to shine a new light on our club.
I earnestly tip my hat to this Dynamic Duo.
Alain