Editor’s note (that would be me):
In my last installment I wrote that the next chapter in my saga was to be called “The Four Musketeers”, I have, however, decided to switch horses in the middle of the stream. I will leave it at that for now, but in a later post I will explain why I broke a cardinal rule of the great American Cowboy.
In the future, I will refrain from putting a title to a post before I have written it. I know that in the grand scheme of things it is a relatively moot point and that, as the author I am free to use my poetic license as I see fit. I have long known that anal retentiveness is one of my lesser traits, and it is this trait that is responsible for my burning need to set the record straight.
I wrote my last two posts in this series with a humorous slant, and I hope I succeeded in entertaining you. This post adopts a more serious tone and comes from the heart.
Without further logorrhea, I present you with:
Heroes and Friends!
The value of material possessions which society seems to measure us by, have a defined worth. Financially, we are measured by our net worth, which is also definable. The value of true and loyal friendship, however, is immeasurable. True friends are as rare as left-handed golfers on the PGA tour, yet every weekend I get to play golf with three left-handed PGA tour players.
Gerard and I have been friends for 25 years, exactly as long as I have worked at the company that provides me with the income to play the game I love. Almost from the very first day I worked at Purolator Courier, I struck up a friendship with Gerard. The friendship came easily and naturally, and over the years, as we came to know more about each other, the friendship grew stronger.
In everyone’s lives, there are times of happiness and times of conflict; there are no exceptions to this part of the human experience. It is in times of conflict that we need our friends the most, and Gerard has been one of the people I turn to when I need a friend to lean on.
Terry joined our foursome in 2004 and very quickly became friends with Gerard and me. I have a deep admiration for Terry and an even deeper appreciation of his friendship. There is not a doubt in my heart that if I ever needed anything, he would be there to help. Likewise, if Terry ever needed my help, I would be there for him.
Before I introduce the fourth musketeer, I would like to go off on a rant about heroes.
I believe that we live in a society of misplaced values when it comes to the idolization of people we deem to be heroes. We put on pedestals individuals we worship because they happen to be the best at what they do. NHL hockey stars, Major league baseball stars, football stars, basketball stars, and yes, even golf stars. We idolize movie stars, singers, entertainers, the rich, the successful, and the powerful.
Hell, we even idolize wanna-be stars. For proof of this just tune in to American Idol and listen to the audience go ballistic when their favorite performers take the stage in an attempt to croon their way to the final vocal duel.
The hallowed hall of heroes is littered with less than stellar examples of these potential role models as well. O. J. Simpson, Mike Tyson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Vick, Darryl Strawberry, Amy Winehouse, Robert Downey Jr., Pete Doherty, Robert Blake, Bobby Brown; the list goes on.
Don’t get me wrong, I know these people are human and make mistakes, and that’s okay; I empathize with them for that. But even when O.J. Simpson was on trial for the brutal murders of Nicole, Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, fans gathered in the streets chanting, “We love you O. J.!” Adoring fans will continue to bestow adulation upon Kobe Bryant; Bobby Brown will easily score points with adoring female fans; and Michael Vick will be back in the spotlight one day soon and will be back up on his appointed pedestal.
Then there is the TV show that is the epitome of all that is wrong with hero worship, Paris Hilton’s, My New BFF. The shameless pandering by flighty females vying to be her Best Friend Forever is a study of human nature at it’s worst. Do these women really believe that if they win the sycophant race they will actually become Paris Hilton’s life long friend? And what about the spoiled multimillionaire athletes who defiantly cross their arms and pout when they want out of a legally signed contract? Whatever happened to honor?
Look, I realize we live in a diverse world and that sports and entertainment, especially when delivered at an elevated level of perfection, play an important role in the social dynamics of our society. Nor will I deny that I admire and stand in awe of Tiger Woods and his abilities on the golf course, but know this: The admiration is not only for his talent, but also for his character and personality.
In fact, the list of people deserving of our admiration is probably longer than the list of non-deserving individuals, and while I may admire these role models, they are not my heroes.
True heroes
My heroes are the soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. My heroes are the firemen who ran into the World Trade Centers when everybody else was running out. My heroes are the police and fire fighters who live and work in the cities and towns we live in. My heroes are the EMTs, the doctors, the nurses, and anyone else who works in triage centers and hospitals around the world saving lives and comforting the ill. My heroes are the people who work for free in third world countries, doing their small part to make the world a better place.
My personal heroes are my Son-in-law, Steve, for being a responsible husband and parent; my daughter, Melanie, for having fought tough battles in her life, only to stand victorious on the battlefield with a thriving and successful family and business; my grandsons Jesse and Riley, for being great kids with a passion for music.
My personal heroes are my Son-in law, Rob, a military man who has helped fight the good fight in Afghanistan; my daughter, Jodie, who deals with the stress of day-to-day life, work, and a diabetic son; my grandson, Tyler, a wonderful kid who gets up every morning and stares diabetes in the face. It is something he will have to do for the rest of his life.
My personal heroes are my niece, Terena, who bravely faced Cancer and never once complained right up until the day she lost the battle; and, of course, my good friend, Wayne, the last person to join our group.
Wayne is my hero because he is a good man with a remarkable devotion to his wife and family. His beautiful wife, Susan, has multiple sclerosis and Wayne is her primary caregiver. I do not know or understand the commitment of such a responsibility, but I do know that his commitment comes from a devoted love for her and not just from being a dutiful husband. I know this because in one of our many conversations about life, Wayne told me, “I don’t know what I would do if something ever happened to her. I would be so lost.”
Wayne is also my hero for less noble reasons. He shoots a pretty decent game of golf. In fact, he is the best golfer in our group. I have made it my mission in life to one day beat him at this wonderful game we play that ironically spells flog backwards. I am beginning to believe that it will never happen, but I will never give up trying.
I treasure my time spent golfing, but I treasure more the heroes in my life, and the bonds of friendship I have with my three friends.
This post is dedicated to my heroes and friends.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Kudo’s Howard! That’s what I like to read. Telling it like it is. You’re the Bill Maher of the bloggers. PLUG ALERT! (Watch REAL TIME with Bill Maher on HBO Canada)
Paris Hilton famous for being rich and paid to party?
Athletes, actors and musicians praising God for their talent as if God singled THEM out for greatness and overlooked everyone else? ATHIEST ALERT! If there is a God I do not think he works that way. Not according to the Bible. Maybe they should read it. Humble is quoted often. Sadly it does not come to mind with most celebrities.
Do not get me wrong, there are some celebs who have good hearts and philanthropist ideals. Jolie, Gates, Buffet (Warren, not cousin Jimmy), Sting (Gordon Sumner) and Paul Newman come to mind. Of course Gates and Buffet have more money than God, but he don’t seem to need it. Maybe they should take the same attitude. All that cash and no one to throw it at! Wait! I have an idea! Throw it at me!
Real Heroes! You hit the nail on the head. Do not mock Don Cherry when he pays tribute to the fallen on HNIC. Grapes wears his heart on his finely tailored sleeves. (Some of his suits I could live without. Someone out there in Hockeyland is missing their living room drapes.) These are people keeping our lifestyle safe over here by fighting zealots over there.
My father was in the Navy during WWII and I had six of my moms brothers in the Armed Forces during the same conflict. Thankfully all came back unscathed, not so for other families. Not so for some CAF families today.
Say what you will about the U.S.A. it has it’s faults, but if they had not joined in on WWII after Pearl Harbour we might not be blogging with free will today. Think of Iran at the moment. Britain especially is indebted to them. They were very close to being invaded and overwhelmed by the Nazis. Most of us know of the conspiracy theories regarding Churchill and Roosevelt with regards to Pearl Harbour.
If in doubt GOOGLE IT!
Be thankful for good health and be compassionate for those who do not have it.
Wow again Terry, sounds like I touched a nerve with this post. Strong words, but you make some excellent points my friend. Not sure about the Churchill/Roosevelt thing though, I never did put much stock in conspiracy theories. Thank you for reading my post and your spirited rant on the subject matter………, now if you could only fire up your game like that, lol.
Just sharing our 19th Hole chats with the Cyberworld. Got a little off subject there. You might have to change your Blogs name to aquestforparandrandopinionsaboutreligionpoliticsandeverydaylife.com. I bet no one has that Dominion name registered!
Speaking of Dominion. HAPPY DOMINION DAY CANADA!
We Canadians got our independence the HARD WAY! Not a shot fired! We just nagged and whined until England could not take it anymore. No need to shed blood. Just drive the opposition CRAZY!
That is why Canada is the Most Desired Country in the World to live in. (According to a new poll conducted by some Think Tank in Europe.) We ROCK!
The question was “If you had unlimited resources (money) and wanted to move. Where would you live?” Canada was number one. Followed by other countries we do not need to mention, cause we came out on top.
There I go again. Off subject.
As far as the Churchill/Roosevelt conspiracy goes, I have my doubts too, but then again we are talking about a country that assassinates their leaders if they do not like them. We just put it to a non confidence vote and hold another election. Expensive, but not as messy.
Hey again Terry, I think I will pass on the, aquestforparandrandopinionsaboutreligionpoliticsandeverydaylife.com domain name, but I do intend to go off on a rant every now and then about non-golf related subjects. As for the poll, none of the people who answered Canada have obviously ever been here in the winter. All kidding aside, we live in a great country and the results don’t surprise me. Yay Canada!
I would so like to thank Mr. Tee for digging deep inside himself and bringing up God in the context of golf. As a reader of the Holy Bible and a believer in the power of prayer and the salvation found in ‘J.C.’; and I don’t mean Jenny Craig, I would like to encourage all the readers of this blog to take a few minutes and ingest the fact that God is the Creator of all things. He is loving and forever present to those who seek Him. He has given us free will and freedom to choose. His word says, He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He will give us comfort and hope.
God’s word also says that the enemy is the ruler of this world and that he is like a roaring lion searching all the earth for those he can afflict. If you don’t know him, his biblical name is Lucifer; or the one who lies, deceives, and rips God’s purpose from our lives. He fills our thoughts with hatred, envy, pride, revenge, greed, and many other distasteful attributes. As a result we see wars over greed; where real men get killed, families are torn apart, countries ruined, children left homeless, environments destroyed, sickness, hunger, disease and the like.
All this goes on while God watches His creations bow to the deeds of darkness. Take heed though, because the return of Jesus Christ will not be delayed forever, lest we as humans total destroy ourselves.
The glorious day of Christ’s return will in fact happen, just as the last of the 2500 prophecies in the Holy Bible are fulfilled. As a matter of history, 2000 prophecies have already come to pass and are part of our earthly world.
Please be cognizant that as you play golf, there is a bigger game being played out in the spirit realm. It is a game for lives and souls. Salvation is freely available to all regardless of stature. Ask Jesus into your life and give yourself a gift that will impact your game of eternal life.
May all who read this be blessed times ten through the Lord Jesus Christ.
God Bless Wayne and Gerard, as I know Christ has entered their hearts. Stay faithful, your treasures are in Heaven.
Hi Denise,
Before I respond to your comment I would like to remind readers of my blog how this is supposed to work. It’s quite simple really. I write a post on a particular subject, you read the post, then, you leave a comment regarding the subject matter in my post. Something like, “Great post Howard, yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah!” Or maybe even, “Your post sucks Howard, yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah!”
It’s quite obvious that some of you are very passionate about certain topics and the truth is, we should all have a passion for a particular thing or things. My respectful suggestion would be; you should consider starting your own blog. What I am failing to understand is how a post about Heroes and Friends turned into a discussion about God.
My thoughts on God and religion could fill a small book so I will not weigh in on the subject except to say that I have nothing but respect and tolerance for the spiritual and religious beliefs of others, no matter what they may be, as long as their beliefs do not cause harm to anyone, i.e. the klu klux klan, radical islamists etc. (Capitals are not used on purpose so as not to legitimize said groups).
That being said, thank you Denise for reading my latest post. Thank you also for the words that come from your heart. It’s obvious that Jesus is not only one of your heroes, but your friend as well. It must be comforting to you to have Jesus at your side.
p.s. What did you think of my post?
Well Howard, I loved your post. It is always refreshing to read about someone’s heroes, and the love you feel for them is so very obvious. They are lucky individuals to have you in their lives. You are one special cat, whether on the course or off the course. Continue to spread the love of heroes, golf, God, and each other.
May the golf Gods pour blesings on the foursome and the heroes.
Thank you Denise for the comments regarding my post. I am the one who feels lucky to have the heroes and friends around me that enrich my life. Thanx as well for your blessings, I need all the help I can get on the course.
Hi Howard,
I was very touched by your heroes…I think that a lot of people lose site of who is truly important in life, and where our focus should be…
Cheers,
Mike.
It Seems I/we have opened a little can of worms Howard. Let’s just stick to the subject at hand.
You wondered aloud about what it would be like to go gloveless. Lorena Ochoa golfs without gloves. Any other golfers you can think of? Maybe ask the readership if they have any opinions/advice regarding this.
Big Break P.E.I. has finished and the process was intriguing. But as I look back on it, the show seemed to be just as bad as the other reality shows on tv with the backstabbing, insults and arrogant comments of the participants during the one on one interviews. Just play golf. No need to make it personal. The golfing skills challenge on each episode and match play I did enjoy though.
Phil Mickelson has just found out his mother has cancer now. Talking about kicking a guy when he is down. My thoughts go out to him.
I will shut up now.
Hi Mike, Thank you for checking out my blog. You are so right about who the important people in life are, they are the ones who truly make a difference in our lives.
You dissappoint me Terry, I thought you might be up for a spirited debate, lol.
I am going to experiment going gloveless and see how it goes. It will be something to blog about in a future post and I can ask for reader feedback on it as well. As for the reality shows, the backstabbing, insults, etc. are encouraged by the producers to generate interest. It’s the way the world works I guess. If they just played golf, I am not so sure people would be interested in it.
My thoughts and prayers also go out to Phil, I wish him and his family the best.
Howard, my dear friend. It is 12:10 am Sat morning (just a few hours before we tee off) and I have just read your blog. Its a good thing I had a tissue beside me. I am truly overwhelmed by those comments. Going through life, most men strive for three things. A good job, A loving family, and friends he can count on in a time of need. Well I have the job, the family, and the (friends). I use that term loosely because it does not do you guys justice. Websters will have to re-evaluate the word friend, because you three are most definitely over qualified. It seems there are an endless amount of hurdles for me to climb through in this life, but for the last 9 years they have been a lot easier to climb. I wish you could read minds, then you could give me the words I need, to say what I am thinking. Thank you for being the man you are and the (friend) that I can turn to. See you on the course.
P.S. I guess you know this means you will finally beat me.lol
Wayne,
I am glad that my words touched you. As for me being a mind reader, I sincerely do not think it was necessary, the words you used were quite adequate to convey how you feel. I feel blessed to have you as a friend, and honored that you count me as one of your friends. I know the challenges you face in this journey called life and I wish I could do more for you than just lend you my ear when you need it. Stay strong Wayne, and I am here if you need me.
P.S. Today wasn’t the day my friend, but I will try again next Saturday.
Where is our next post? Hello, we are waiting.
This weekend sweetie, I’ve been real busy.