A bit about me

Is it somehow appropriate to begin by saying that my biggest early life inspiration was Bill Murray (as Carl Spackler) in the movie Caddyshack? That my most fervent hope as a young man was to be a top ‘Looper’, be able to conquer golf course varmints, and ardently follow the Dalai Lama in pursuit of ‘total consciousness’? That might be an undersell but suffice to say that I still believe that very few bad days cannot be improved with a short exposure to Caddyshack.

To be clear, I am now and always have been passionate about Golf. (At least since that day that I managed to hit a solid shot and have that tuning fork of perfection resonate in my heart.) I’m one of those demented people who need to have Golf in my life to be happy. You could offer me a dream job paying millions, and if the catch was that I could never play golf I would turn it down. Yep, I’m THAT kind of Golf crazy.

More than that, I am one of those philosophical golfers – I see parallels from golf to life. The number 18 is more than just a reference to golf, for me. I have always seen golf/life metaphors and seen the application of those metaphors improve my golf and my life. Through a lot of strife and error, and a journey that has been wildly entertaining (and occasionally downright hilarious), as well as inspiring, I’ve learned that neither golf nor life is perfect, but the pursuit of each had better be as fun as the arrival.

Concurrent through my world of golf has been my journey through personal growth work. I call it ‘work’, but it’s been wildly entertaining (and occasionally downright hilarious), as well as inspiring. I continue to go through this process, both as a student and a coach. I believe there are just two stages of development, growth and decay, and growth is the far more interesting of the two. A lot of this work has reinforced those golf/life metaphors. More than that, I have been honored to gain a perspective on many different life stories; my own and those of others. The tales, struggles, and triumphs of those I have been privileged to know have taught me is that no one is without struggle in their life.

The merging of these two paths – golf and personal growth – led to my first book, 18. While the book is about a golfer, it is not only about golf. Don’t worry – you golf addicts will get your fix. And the rest of you might just see the compelling nature of our silly game.

In writing 18, I had two desires: to entertain and to inspire. The entertainment part is another piece of my past; I have always been a storyteller, and my imagination often made my practical father nuts. Given this nature, I have included enough plot twists and drama in the characters of Rachelle Keys the FBI agent, Kelly Keys, the new IT girl in golf, and Thomas Kincaid, agent and protector of the corrupt, to provide tension, foreboding, and intrigue to the story.

My second objective was to inspire. The characters of this book are people, just like you and me. Their struggles and trials and tribulations are much like ours – without the FBI involved. If you see yourself or aspects of your life in one or more of them, I bow my head to you.

The book is designed to entertain but to also raise questions. The Reader’s Guide at the end of the book can help answer those questions. It can also help uncover the strength in you, or anyone, to accept and understand that no matter your struggles, no matter what life throws at you, you are not alone on your path to redemption. I’ve been there, and I’m here now, if you care to reach out. connect@authorJKBarnes.com