Golf, Life, and the Wisdom We Pick Up Along the Way

We were proud of our nephew after wrapping up his high school golf career

A couple Mondays ago on Columbus Day to be exact, my wife and I journeyed up to Firestone Country Club in Akron to watch our nephew, a senior at Alter High School in Kettering, play golf at the OHSAA state tournament. His team finished state runner-up after a previous four-year streak of consecutive state championships. Despite their remarkable accomplishment that afternoon, the boys were initially disappointed given the program's historical success. Getting to follow my nephew around the course brought back all the feels of watching my son compete in golf at Russia High School not so long ago. It also reminded me that the sport of golf has a funny way of teaching us some of life’s most important lessons.

The beautiful and scary hole #17

Lesson #1: You can hit a bad shot and think you’ve ruined the whole round. However, the next shot is always an opportunity to get back on track. My nephew scored a fantastic 5-over 77, in spite of one triple bogey on hole #16. The following hole #17 was an intimidating par-3 island green that could have been disastrous with the wrong mindset. Instead, he focused on the present and parred the hole! Life is a lot like that. Things won’t always go the way you planned and you’re going to make mistakes along the way. Don’t let one bad shot ruin the rest of your round and don’t let one bad day define your life. 

Lesson #2: Golf also teaches you about character. There are no officials following high school golfers around the course, and sometimes competitors can't see where your ball landed or whether you gave yourself a little better lie than you deserved. I preached this repeatedly to my son when he first started playing at a young age and throughout his high school career. Those are the moments when your integrity matters most. Life is the same way. Who you are when nobody is watching says a lot more about you than what people see on the outside. Always do the right thing, even when it’s not the easiest thing.

Lesson #3: In golf you can’t control everything. You certainly try to make the best decisions possible. I've witnessed instances where both my nephew and son have taken brilliant shots, only to have the ball take an unexpected bad bounce and make them second-guess their choices. Life will throw you some unexpected challenges too. You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can control your attitude and how you treat the people around you. Focus on those things and trust that God has a plan for you, even when you can’t see the whole picture.

Lesson #4: Perhaps the biggest lesson golf teaches is to enjoy the game. It’s so easy to get caught up in the score, that you forget to appreciate your surroundings and the opportunity to be there with others. My nephew got the day off school to play a PGA course with kids that love the game as much as him! Find that same positivity in life. Don’t get so focused on where you’re going that you forget to appreciate where you are. Make time for family, build friendships, and never take your blessings for granted.

Life isn’t about shooting a perfect round. It’s about the kind of person you become along the way. Remember to keep your head up after the bad shots, stay humble after the good ones, and enjoy walking with the people God puts alongside you. Even if it doesn't go according to plan!

High school golf eventually ends, but the lessons learned last a lifetime

The Best Parts of Minster Oktoberfest Haven't Changed

Sure the beer is good, but that's not what makes Minster Oktoberfest the best

There are a lot of great things about living in this part of Ohio. We have hard-working people. We have strong communities. We have traditions that have been passed down for generations. We have homemade cooking, musical talent, and perhaps most importantly, people who still make time for each other. For me, there may be no better example of all of that coming together than the Minster Oktoberfest.

Every year, thousands of people descend on Minster for a weekend of German food, music, beer, dancing, a parade, and plenty of other fun. The festival itself estimates that more than 80,000 people come to town over the weekend. But those numbers really don't explain what makes Oktoberfest special. As I reflect on the 2026 edition of Oktoberfest this past weekend, my favorite parts really haven't changed from year to year, but I appreciate them more than ever.

The Music

Just another song from Klaberheads

Four separate stages at Oktoberfest produce everything from energetic polkas to late-night party anthems. There is something about live music in a crowded little Ohio town on a beautiful fall weekend that just feels right. Believe me, Minster does a masterful job of coordinating it all.

This year my favorites acts were the same as recent years. The bands Karma's Pawn on Friday and Klaberheads on Sunday. If you've seen either group perform elsewhere like I have, they're always great. If you've seen them perform at Minster Oktoberfest, they're simply unforgettable and one of the reasons I love coming back. Karma’s Pawn kicking off the festival on Friday night is the perfect introduction to the fun that lies ahead all weekend. And Klaberheads closing on Sunday afternoon is Minster's official soundtrack to the end of Oktoberfest. You know the weekend is over and you're not quite ready to say goodbye.

Then There's the Food

It required standing in line, but was worth it

Let's be honest. You don't go to Oktoberfest to count calories. You go to eat, and Minster delivers. There are so many choices that it's almost impossible to have just one favorite. Brats. German potato salad. Tenderloins. Sauerkraut balls. Mini doughnuts. Cream puffs. Personally, my top pick is the Reuben. There's something wonderfully pure about getting my Reuben, finding a picnic table, listening to music, and enjoying the taste of corned beef with a Märzen-style lager.

On top of that, the food isn't just about satisfying my taste buds. Most Oktoberfest food stands are operated by local organizations, with proceeds helping those groups support the community. So when you buy that Reuben or whatever your Oktoberfest favorite happens to be, you are actually helping your neighbors. That's pretty hard to beat.

But the Best Part is the People

For me though, the very best part of Oktoberfest isn't the music. It isn't the food. It's catching up with friends. You can walk into Oktoberfest with absolutely no plans and somehow spend the entire day running into people you know. You see an old college roommate. You bump into someone from work. You chat with a former high school classmate. Someone introduces you to somebody you've never met. Several times this past weekend I mentioned heading back home to Russia, but kept talking for hours. That's what I love about this area. That's what I love about Oktoberfest.

We're all busy. Everybody has jobs, families, responsibilities, ball games, appointments, and a million other things going on. However, once a year at Oktoberfest, we can all agree that it's okay to put some of that on hold for a little while. We get together. We eat. We listen to some music. We laugh. We catch up.

That's Minster Oktoberfest. And that's a pretty darn good thing about living in this part of Ohio.

A perfect day for a small town parade and my favorite marching band

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Big goals are rarely accomplished by one person alone. That's why I'm grateful for Shelby County students and their positive energy. (Pictures by Ali Rittenhouse)

The country song “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen was once a top stream on my playlist back in 2025. One line of the tune goes, “They say teamwork makes the dream work”. Now, if you know the song or listen to the rest of the lyrics, you’ll understand that line is actually about a relationship where teamwork clearly did not make the dream work. But for me, I recently borrowed the phrase for a different message: In school, in your career, and in life, the people you surround yourself with can make a huge difference in what you’re able to accomplish.

Chasing my own dream

Last Thursday I spoke at the Shelby County Fairgrounds in Sidney to two large groups of area students about Career Exploration. Before my official introduction to the kids, I was hidden behind a wall outside of the arena (granted, it was a livestock arena). Executive Director Carrie O’Leary from Workforce Partnership of Shelby County was the emcee and hyped my intro in rock star fashion. Mitch Rowlett from Dayton Mobile DJ next blasted “I Had Some Help” over the loudspeakers. On cue, I entered the arena and bounced around high-fiving any of the students that wanted to play along. It was a walkout that likely would have made Post Malone and Morgan Wallen jealous. And had my wife been in attendance, she would have been thoroughly embarrassed. Nevertheless, it got the students excited and that was my big goal!

After my lap was complete and I eventually caught my breath, it was time to speak. I stated my name was Craig, my nickname was Fish, and my occupation was a human resources manager. However, I further explained that my dream was to be a country music star called Fish that could pump up the crowd before a big show. Because of Carrie, Mitch, and all the students that indulged me, together their teamwork just made my dream work. I sincerely thanked them.

The show was just getting started and next I engaged the students further. One bold volunteer agreed to join me in front of the crowd with a friend. We played a simple game with three red solo cups. Underneath one cup was $20, another cup just $10, and another cup only $2. My volunteer didn’t know which cups held which cash amounts. I asked her to pick a cup and encouraged the rowdy crowd to shout their advice. That resulted in chaos and confusion. She fretted over her decision and hesitantly picked the middle cup. Before revealing the cash underneath, I gave her some information and stated that I knew the middle cup contained just $10. She was also given one final opportunity to change her decision with some advice from only her friend this time. In the end, together they decided to switch to a different cup and luckily picked the one with $20! Both girls were extra happy when I revealed the $20 was two ten dollar bills that they were able to split evenly.

The best decisions are sometimes made with a little help from the people who know you best.

What was the point of the cup game? I explained those cups represented our choices in school, our careers, and our lives. We’re out there every day trying to decide which cup to pick. Often times we get confusing advice from people we don't know, like on social media and in the news. The lesson of the game wasn’t that someone else will always know which cup to pick for us. It was that the people we surround ourselves with can help us make better decisions when we’re not sure which direction to go. Choose your friends and other influences carefully, because their advice can have a real impact on the choices you make and the opportunities you see. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own, and you certainly won’t make every decision perfectly. But if you surround yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed, you’ll have a much better team beside you as you chase whatever your own “dream” happens to be!

-Craig