Tonight, my wife and I will go to a wake for a fellow named John Welch. He passed away Tuesday at the ripe old age of 94. I got to know John only about 20 years ago and didn't know him nearly as well as many others who will be there tonight. But I thought the world of him. You see, good people -- even if they are casual friends -- stick with you forever. They teach you things by their actions as well as their words.
Several years ago, John and I were part of a foursome in a golf tournament. Riding with John was a young, excitable son of a friend of mine who was 18 or 19 years old. Jason is a good athlete but that doesn't mean he is a good golfer. At the time, he had a bit of a temper. We were plodding along, having a wonderful time hitting mediocre to awful shots on a beautiful day.
Jason hit a bad shot and, as golfers occasionally do, tossed his club in anger. As they were riding down the fairway in their cart, John said quietly, "You know, Jason, some guys get uncomfortable playing with guys who throw their clubs. It takes the fun out of the game for them."
About 10 minutes later, Jason sidled over to where my partner and I were standing. he looked like he had been caught stealing an entire jar of cookies. "I think I offended him," he whispered. "I feel terrible."
Nothing more was ever said on the subject and it was one of the most enjoyable afternoons I ever spent on a golf course.
For the rest of the afternoon, the young man hit shots no worse (or better) than before but didn't toss a single club. Jason, who is a terrific, decent human being, later faced hell on earth in Iraq as a Marine and lived to tell about it. He is a tough, hardnosed fellow who I want on my side if I ever get in a fight.
On that afternoon, however, an older man he had never met before brought him to his knees with a lesson that I suspect that has never been forgotten.
And this is what friends of all ages are for.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment