November 18th, 2010 at 9:17 am by
Anne
Tiger Woods has decided to purge his heart in an essay in Newsweek in which he talks about the pain he has gone through in the last year. The man who took Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ campaign literally says:
The physical pain from that car accident has long healed. But the pain in my soul is more complex and unsettling; it has been far more difficult to ease—and to understand. But this much is obvious now: my life was out of balance, and my priorities were out of order. I made terrible choices and repeated mistakes. I hurt the people whom I loved the most. And even beyond accepting the consequences and responsibility, there is the ongoing struggle to learn from my failings.
He talks about his fear of returning to golf, to public life and how it would be received:
When I first came back to golf this spring, after taking a necessary break, I was worried about how fans would treat me. But they’ve been kinder and more supportive than I ever imagined possible. That’s true away from the golf course, too. When I go to the store, or to work out, or to grab lunch, I’ve been amazed by the considerate, encouraging words I hear. I’ve realized that those sentiments are not merely courtesies but generous expressions of compassion for which I’ll always be thankful.
I don’t want to get all feminazi on here, but I’m always very intrigued by how someone like Tiger can have numerous affairs over several years and he’s high-fived and fist-bumped but LeAnn Rimes is supposed to be walking around with the scarlett letter A pinned to her. I’m not condoning any of the behaviour, nor am I a fan of LeAnn’s, but I’m just making an observation about the double standard that still exists in 2010. Although Jesse James would be the exception to the rule.
Golf made him feel invincible (read entitled):
At first, I didn’t want to look inward. Frankly, I was scared of what I would find—what I had become. But I’m grateful that I did examine my life because it has made me more grounded than I’ve ever been; I hope that with reflection will come wisdom. Golf is a self-centered game, in ways good and bad. So much depends on one’s own abilities. But for me, that self-reliance made me think I could tackle the world by myself. It made me think that if I was successful in golf, then I was invincible. Now I know that, no matter how tough or strong we are, we all need to rely on others.
But of course Tiger is a victim too:
I have a lasting gratitude to those who stood by me in ways large and small. Unfortunately, opportunists are trying still to cash in on my troubles, no matter how irresponsible or ridiculous their claims may be. In many cases, I’ve never even met these people. But there’s no way I can dispute each lie without provoking more. Besides, everyone has probably heard more than they ever wanted to about my private life.
Yes I have heard WAY too much. Whether or not he sincerely has changed (and I have to hope he has for the sake of his kids at least) who knows. Who cares really as it’s his journey. I just hope we aren’t going to get his freaking diary on a regular basis.
Source
Photo: WENN
