Father’s Day
It was a good Father's Day. I got calls from the two children far away, and had a great evening talk and walk with my son next door. We looked at plants, talked about trees, and discussed the shape of gardens. In the afternoon I watched the US Open. The only man to shoot under par won it, and he had to do it with a 64 foot putt on the final hole in the rain. It was wonderful to watch.
There was a lot of talk about the Oakmont rough and real despair by some commentators. Apparently, the top golfers in the world didn’t know how to deal with it. For me it was simple. Don’t go there. But the top guys have become top guys because they’re long hitters. Unfortunately, they’re not very accurate. You needed accuracy at Oakmont, as you do at most US Open courses. It reminded me of my amateur learned lesson–aim for the short grass even if it means using less club.
I didn’t get to call my own father. He passed away in 2006. But I thought about him. He did his very best to give us a good life which oftentimes meant working two jobs, because the US Navy, his first career choice, was not a high paying gig. We had generational differences but we worked through them and in the end I’d have to say he was a good friend with whom I had many fine visits. And now it’s back to the day to day with the sun shining and things to do in these late stages of my own dad life.