Turn on any television network , glance at any newpaper or internet news feed and your eyes will be drawn toward the eternal flame burning in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.. The flame adorns the burial site of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy who was assassinated on November 22,1963. The nation suffered a horrific loss that day. It happened exactly fifty years ago and yet the loss is just as tremendous and so the flame flickers on.
Time does not, as it turns out, heal all wounds. They become bearable. But we do not forget. We do not forget the promise our beloved President Kennedy conveyed to our nation in his brief 1000 days of service in the highest office in the land. He made us feel hopeful and capable of great accomplishments. He represented a better world composed of human rights and peace. As often said, it was Camelot.
Billy Crystal is currently appearing on Broadway in 700 Sundays. It is a return engagement after a 2004 Broadway run and a 2009 national book tour. The play is about Crystal's father who died when Billy was 15 years old. He determined that he spent 700 Sundays with his dad. Audiences are treated to comical and heart-wrenching moments about his life. It is his artistic eternal flame for his father and for their relationship.
Tuesdays With Morrie is Mitch Albom's literary tribute to his college professor, Morrie Schwartz. The book has sold over 15 million copies in more than 50 editions world-wide. Schwartz had been his professor some twenty years prior to the publication of the book but his impact had made a lasting impression. Albom renewed his relationship with him in 1995 when Schwartz was dying of ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. And yet another flame is lit.
Statues are unveiled. Stadiums are named. Impressive architectural structures are built and dedicated. All of these gestures are heartfelt lasting memorials. They are each flames of remembrance.
And the greatest of these---the most permanent is the internal eternal flame. We acknowledge and remember and laud our lost by daily memories. We remember their voice...their touch...their humor...their facial expressions...their gestures...their advice... We pay homage to them each and every moment that we breathe because we are an extension of them. We celebrate them through our recollections which are constant and love-filled. We carry internal eternal flames.They cannot be extinguished.
Whether it was 1000 days or 700 Sundays or a couple of years in college or more or less, matters not. What matters is that they were here. We were blessed with that time. The amount of it is far less important than its existence. They remain a part of us. And thanks to our eternal flames, they are never forgotten. The heart and soul of our departed is burning within us in an imperishable unceasing flame.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
I Am All In
You play the hand you are dealt. Stroke. Heart disease. Aneurysms. Sarcoma. Carcinoma. Melanoma. Tsunamis. Automobile Accidents. Plane Crashes. Falls. Parkinsons. Early Onset Alzheimers. Juvenile Diabetes. Multiple Sclerosis. Asthma. Muscular Dystrophy. Cystic Fibrosis. Terrorists. Snipers. Friendly Fire. Combat. Breast Cancer. Prostate Cancer. Arthritis. Blindness. MRSA. Emphysema. Chronic Pulmonary Disorder. Hemophilia. Sepsis. Pneumonia. Crime. Alzheimers. Dementia. Mental Illness.
If you or a loved one has not been affected by one of those "card hands" of life then kneel down and kiss the ground. But alas, you will inform me of the countless other afflictions that are looming possibilities in the next "hand". Hunger. Starvation. Homelessness. Lack of water. Lack of clean water. Perhaps you live in a country where rape is commonplace. There is elder abuse. There are kids without families. There are people suffering from debilitating depression. Post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries and loss of limbs are but a few of the after-effects our troops may face.
Colon cancer. Crohn's Disease. Liver cancer. Pancreatic cancer. Brain tumors. Progeria. AIDS. Leukemia and Lymphoma. If you or a loved one still has not encountered one of these "card hands" then you are ever so lucky. The luck of the draw? Surely to God it is not that random. Yet sadly it is.
We can waste an enormous amount of time trying to dissect what caused something to happen when it happened to whom it happened. Why now? Why them? Why that? If only there were clear answers to any of those questions. Guilty as charged. I ask them every day. I plead for definitive answers. (There are clear cause and effect results for some diseases but many remain a mystery.)
The deck is shuffled and shuffled again and shuffled again. The cards take flight and land on us with the lightness of a feather or the impact of a thunderous rockslide. Our lives continue unscathed or are forever changed in an instant.
We can choose to live in overwhelming fear and a state of paranoia or we can live as if we already got the infamous joker in our hands. Live each and every day not in a breathless race as if it is our last but in a state of gratitude and purpose. Appreciate each person in our lives as if we might not see them again with love and affection and appreciation. Let's not smother them and scare them into an early demise. It is okay to laugh. Laughter helps us to get through.
We can choose to be thankful that there are so many scientists and researchers and medical teams and philanthropists working toward cures and prevention and treatments. We can give generously to those organizations before we are affected because it is the right thing to do. We have to remember St. Jude's Hospital and other childrens hospitals because we have healthy children in our lives.
There was a time that we feared sharks in the water more than just about anything. Okay this was after the atom bomb fears. Now it is salmonella or a rogue peanut. The cards are dealt and you get the peanut allergy and you get the bird flu. I have to believe that there is a better explanantion than a genetic roll of the dice. I want to believe that there are answers.
I will not be found looking over my shoulder anticpating the grim reaper in the form of a tsetse fly or spontaneous combustion. If the tree branch falls at the precise time that I am walking under it then clearly the tree had an issue with me. I will cling to hope for positive outcomes. I will continue to ask questions and try to solve the puzzles of life and anticipate the cards headed my way. And when I unfold my hand and examine what I have been dealt, the question will not be how to play but whether or not to play.
Life is precious. Live each and every moment.
My cards have arrived. The dealer speaks: Are you in?
I'm in. I am all in.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.
( partial lyrics...The Gambler...songwriter Don Schlitz...performer Kenny Rogers)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you or a loved one has not been affected by one of those "card hands" of life then kneel down and kiss the ground. But alas, you will inform me of the countless other afflictions that are looming possibilities in the next "hand". Hunger. Starvation. Homelessness. Lack of water. Lack of clean water. Perhaps you live in a country where rape is commonplace. There is elder abuse. There are kids without families. There are people suffering from debilitating depression. Post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries and loss of limbs are but a few of the after-effects our troops may face.
Colon cancer. Crohn's Disease. Liver cancer. Pancreatic cancer. Brain tumors. Progeria. AIDS. Leukemia and Lymphoma. If you or a loved one still has not encountered one of these "card hands" then you are ever so lucky. The luck of the draw? Surely to God it is not that random. Yet sadly it is.
We can waste an enormous amount of time trying to dissect what caused something to happen when it happened to whom it happened. Why now? Why them? Why that? If only there were clear answers to any of those questions. Guilty as charged. I ask them every day. I plead for definitive answers. (There are clear cause and effect results for some diseases but many remain a mystery.)
The deck is shuffled and shuffled again and shuffled again. The cards take flight and land on us with the lightness of a feather or the impact of a thunderous rockslide. Our lives continue unscathed or are forever changed in an instant.
We can choose to live in overwhelming fear and a state of paranoia or we can live as if we already got the infamous joker in our hands. Live each and every day not in a breathless race as if it is our last but in a state of gratitude and purpose. Appreciate each person in our lives as if we might not see them again with love and affection and appreciation. Let's not smother them and scare them into an early demise. It is okay to laugh. Laughter helps us to get through.
We can choose to be thankful that there are so many scientists and researchers and medical teams and philanthropists working toward cures and prevention and treatments. We can give generously to those organizations before we are affected because it is the right thing to do. We have to remember St. Jude's Hospital and other childrens hospitals because we have healthy children in our lives.
There was a time that we feared sharks in the water more than just about anything. Okay this was after the atom bomb fears. Now it is salmonella or a rogue peanut. The cards are dealt and you get the peanut allergy and you get the bird flu. I have to believe that there is a better explanantion than a genetic roll of the dice. I want to believe that there are answers.
I will not be found looking over my shoulder anticpating the grim reaper in the form of a tsetse fly or spontaneous combustion. If the tree branch falls at the precise time that I am walking under it then clearly the tree had an issue with me. I will cling to hope for positive outcomes. I will continue to ask questions and try to solve the puzzles of life and anticipate the cards headed my way. And when I unfold my hand and examine what I have been dealt, the question will not be how to play but whether or not to play.
Life is precious. Live each and every moment.
My cards have arrived. The dealer speaks: Are you in?
I'm in. I am all in.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.
( partial lyrics...The Gambler...songwriter Don Schlitz...performer Kenny Rogers)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
HAIR
The characters Pippi Longstocking, Rapunzel, Morticia Addams, Little Red Riding Hood, Little Orphan Annie and Princess Leia have one common element (aside from their feminity) that connects them. They are known for their hair. Troy Polamalu, strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Clay Matthews, linebacker for the Green Bay Packers reside in the same club. They are recognized by their hair...by the enormity of it...the color of it...the styling...the length. A lock of hair belonging to a pop musician is auctioned on the internet resulting in a profitable purchase beyond imagination. A sitcom character changes her hairstyle resulting in a global trend. An Olympic ice-skater sports a new haircut and "the Hamill" is born. There are songs, movies and Broadway musicals based on it. Such is the power of hair.
Products ranging from Dippity Do to Prell arrived on the market. Gels, sprays,straighteners, curlers, dryers,shampoos, relaxers, conditioners, mists, and irons followed. Irons? I don't even iron my clothes. Mousse ? Hair mousse? There is a joke in here somewhere. The hair care product industry is expected to reach $58 billion dollars by 2015. The joke, it appears, is on us. Remember the Breck girl ? Vidal Sassoon ? We associate hair with celebrities and strive to imitate their look. We want that current trend in every aspect of our lives including our hair. Keeping up with the Joneses. Tommy Lee, Catherine Zeta, Tom, Rashida, Quincy, James Earl, Shirley or Indiana? Indiana wore a hat for a reason. Never mind. Move on.
Cancer patients receiving chemo often lose their hair. Kick 'em while they are down. It might not be quite as devastating if hair loss was not a taboo subject. The military shaves the heads of soldiers. It is not typically followed by applause or a big HOORAH !
Scenes of head-shaven prisoners in concentration camps is not easily forgotten. But remember this: in many holy cultures heads are shaven as a sign of enlightenment. Haircuts symbolize a liberation from one's past in some cultures. Katharine Hepburn shaved her head every summer for years as a matter of practicality. Talk about enlightenment. It is what we make it. Perhaps the true power of hair is in letting it go.
Myths surrounding the power of hair have existed since Samson and on to the Beatles. (There is some viable argument relating to the Beatles). Afros were once considered a symbol of racial pride. The Chinese grew out their hair in the time of Confucius and tied it as a sign of respect for ancestors, parents and the elderly. Mullets can never be explained. Aliens have probably been more disturbed by mullet-sightings than any other earthly creation. If ever we needed to let go of something it was mullets. And bad comb-overs. There are no good comb-overs. Seriously.
Would Robin Williams be less funny without hair? Would Don King? Did the change in his hair affect Andre Agassi's tennis game? Would Lucy have any less "splaining" to do if she were a blonde? If you cut Cher's hair would she suddenly have a high voice? Can you take the Willie Nelson out of Willie Nelson by snipping his braids? Would Patti La Belle be any less Patti without her hair ? No. Hell no!! Let me hear an amen. Let me hear a Hoorah! Neither a person's beauty nor talent hangs by a single strand.
The long and the short of it is that whether you are greeted by an individual with dreadlocks or no hair at all, show that person acceptance and respect and love. It is what it is. Hair today and gone tomorrow. It had to be said.
HAIR
(James Rado/Gerone Ragni/Galt McDermot)1968
She asks me why, I'm just a hairy guy
I'm hairy noon and night, hair that's a fright
I'm hairy high and low, don't ask me why, don't know
It's not for lack of bread, like the Greatful Dead, darlin'
Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there, momma, everywhere, daddy, daddy
Hair, flow it, show it
Long as God can grow, my hair
Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees
Give a home to the fleas, in my hair
A home for fleas, a hive for the buzzing bees
A nest for birds, there ain't no words
For the beauty, splendor, the wonder of my hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow, my hair
I want long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty
Oily, greasy, fleecy, shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen
Knotted, polka dotted, twisted, beaded, braided
Powered, flowered and confettied
Bangled, tangled, spangled and spahettied
Oh say, can you see my eyes if you can
Then my hair's too short
Down with here, down to there
Down till there, down to where it's stuck by itself
They'll be ga-ga at the go-go, when they see me in my toga
My toga made of blond, brilliantined, biblical hair
My hair like Jesus wore it, Hallelujah I adore it
Hallelujah Mary loved her son, why don't my mother love me?
Hair, flow it, show it
Long as God can grow
My hair, flow it, show it
Long as God can grow
My hair, flow it, show it
Long as God can grow
I'm hairy noon and night, hair that's a fright
I'm hairy high and low, don't ask me why, don't know
It's not for lack of bread, like the Greatful Dead, darlin'
Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there, momma, everywhere, daddy, daddy
Hair, flow it, show it
Long as God can grow, my hair
Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees
Give a home to the fleas, in my hair
A home for fleas, a hive for the buzzing bees
A nest for birds, there ain't no words
For the beauty, splendor, the wonder of my hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow, my hair
I want long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty
Oily, greasy, fleecy, shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen
Knotted, polka dotted, twisted, beaded, braided
Powered, flowered and confettied
Bangled, tangled, spangled and spahettied
Oh say, can you see my eyes if you can
Then my hair's too short
Down with here, down to there
Down till there, down to where it's stuck by itself
They'll be ga-ga at the go-go, when they see me in my toga
My toga made of blond, brilliantined, biblical hair
My hair like Jesus wore it, Hallelujah I adore it
Hallelujah Mary loved her son, why don't my mother love me?
Hair, flow it, show it
Long as God can grow
My hair, flow it, show it
Long as God can grow
My hair, flow it, show it
Long as God can grow
My hair....
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
A Little Good News
Thank you to the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William. Thank you for the sweet relief of some good news. The proud parents emerged from the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London today and shared their newborn son. The baby, third in line to the throne, was born July 22,2013 at 4:24 p.m.. The announcement of his birth and subsequent debut had enormous global impact. It was, finally, good news.
The floods, plane crashes, fires, wars and homicides were interrupted by an act of love. The peaceful arrival of a newborn full of hope and possibility. We joined in reflecting on Princess Diana and all the goodness she represented. We were reminded of her soft-spoken gentle ways and tremendous kindness. We looked at her son and we were reminded of his mother. How very proud she would be.
Let us retain this feeling for as long as we can. Let us do good works. Let us celebrate this life and the hope he brings. The possibilities. The limitless possibilities. Let us join our mother country in this global celebration. Then let us act locally and in our very homes.
Toast this child. Do what we can to make this world a better place for him...for all the children. After all, today he brought us a little good news.
A Little Good News
Anne Murray
The floods, plane crashes, fires, wars and homicides were interrupted by an act of love. The peaceful arrival of a newborn full of hope and possibility. We joined in reflecting on Princess Diana and all the goodness she represented. We were reminded of her soft-spoken gentle ways and tremendous kindness. We looked at her son and we were reminded of his mother. How very proud she would be.
Let us retain this feeling for as long as we can. Let us do good works. Let us celebrate this life and the hope he brings. The possibilities. The limitless possibilities. Let us join our mother country in this global celebration. Then let us act locally and in our very homes.
Toast this child. Do what we can to make this world a better place for him...for all the children. After all, today he brought us a little good news.
A Little Good News
Anne Murray
Friday, May 31, 2013
The Trip To Bountiful
The Trip To Bountiful is a Horton Foote play about the inexplicable pull we all feel toward home. The 1953 literary masterpiece addresses the human longing to return to our home. Wherever that home is located and whenever we picture it are unique to each person but the desire, the intense need to return is universal.
The play premiered on NBC on March 1, 1953 starring Lillian Gish, Eva Marie Saint and Eileen Heckhart. The televised appearance was followed by a 39-show run on Broadway the same year. In late 1985 The Trip To Bountiful motion picture starring Geraldine Page was released. The cast included John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Rebecca De Mornay and Richard Bradford. It was a powerful film well worth watching again.
This year brought The Trip To Bountiful to Broadway once again. Cicely Tyson commands the audience's attention from her first syllable on stage to her last. Her portrayal of Carrie Watts prompts standing ovations night after night. She owns the character. You feel her ache. You want to draw upon some force that will deliver her home. She is supported by Vanessa Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., Condola Rashad and Tom Wopat. They are not your typical supporting cast and their performances are essential to the telling of this incredibile tale. Their skill and artistry are an integral part of this ensemble performance.
We cheer for sports teams and politicians. Why not cheer for an elderly woman trying to make it home ? Why not be drawn in by an emotional story and find yourself wanting, then needing a character to triumph.
But this return to "Bountiful" is not limited to imaginary characters. Each year my grandmother longed to return to her beloved Alabama. Each year my mother experiences a restorative trip home. My aunt longed to go home. Their childhoods are there. Their memories are there. Part of what makes them so strong exists there. Their stories are there. Their hearts are there...in " Bountiful".
Bountiful crops and clear water and firm handshakes. Cool lemonade and bountiful fish in the pristine streams. Bountiful forests filled with luscious green trees and grass covering the rolling hills. Bountiful stories and bountiful laughter. Bountiful silence and stillness and then crickets chirping. Mouth-watering fried chicken and ice-cold watermelon. Porches filled with people you .......love.
People rush to amusement parks and beaches and mountains and historical landmarks . They book flights to faraway places and arrange tee times and tea times. Perhaps we need to slow down and take a trip to Bountiful.
* On June 9, 2013 , Cicely Tyson was awarded a Tony for best leading actress in a play for her performance in The Trip To Bountiful...
The play premiered on NBC on March 1, 1953 starring Lillian Gish, Eva Marie Saint and Eileen Heckhart. The televised appearance was followed by a 39-show run on Broadway the same year. In late 1985 The Trip To Bountiful motion picture starring Geraldine Page was released. The cast included John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Rebecca De Mornay and Richard Bradford. It was a powerful film well worth watching again.
This year brought The Trip To Bountiful to Broadway once again. Cicely Tyson commands the audience's attention from her first syllable on stage to her last. Her portrayal of Carrie Watts prompts standing ovations night after night. She owns the character. You feel her ache. You want to draw upon some force that will deliver her home. She is supported by Vanessa Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., Condola Rashad and Tom Wopat. They are not your typical supporting cast and their performances are essential to the telling of this incredibile tale. Their skill and artistry are an integral part of this ensemble performance.
We cheer for sports teams and politicians. Why not cheer for an elderly woman trying to make it home ? Why not be drawn in by an emotional story and find yourself wanting, then needing a character to triumph.
But this return to "Bountiful" is not limited to imaginary characters. Each year my grandmother longed to return to her beloved Alabama. Each year my mother experiences a restorative trip home. My aunt longed to go home. Their childhoods are there. Their memories are there. Part of what makes them so strong exists there. Their stories are there. Their hearts are there...in " Bountiful".
Bountiful crops and clear water and firm handshakes. Cool lemonade and bountiful fish in the pristine streams. Bountiful forests filled with luscious green trees and grass covering the rolling hills. Bountiful stories and bountiful laughter. Bountiful silence and stillness and then crickets chirping. Mouth-watering fried chicken and ice-cold watermelon. Porches filled with people you .......love.
People rush to amusement parks and beaches and mountains and historical landmarks . They book flights to faraway places and arrange tee times and tea times. Perhaps we need to slow down and take a trip to Bountiful.
* On June 9, 2013 , Cicely Tyson was awarded a Tony for best leading actress in a play for her performance in The Trip To Bountiful...
Sunday, April 14, 2013
GOOD ON YOU
Adam Scott's dramatic Masters win unites the land of boomerangs , koalas and kangaroos with the land of azaleas, magnolias and pimento cheese sandwiches. Australia FINALLY has a Masters champion. The long-awaited green jacket has finally landed on an Aussie. Scott maneuvered the treacherous massive sand bunkers and precarious greens to emerge as the champion.
Scott's birdie putt on the 18th green appeared to have won the tournament and he screamed " C'mon Aussie" just prior to Angel Cabrera revealing aome Argentinian magic with his 7 iron. Early evening was slipping into nightfall as the two engaged in a hard fought sudden death playoff that went from hole 18 to hole 10 before Scott claimed the green jacket.
The entire Masters week had, as always, been filled with emotional pairings and thrilling golf shots. Moments included Masters Champion and Golf Legend Tom Watson and 14 year old Tianlang Guan playing a practice round together. The teen from China is the youngest participant to ever play in the Masters.
The Thursday honorary starters trio of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player hit three shots straight down the pristine first fairway of the Augusta National. They are simply the best. They engage with patrons. They sign autographs for children. They pose for photographs. They play in the Par 3 tournament to the delight of thousands. They ARE golf.
Condoleeza Rice and Darla Moore debuted their green jackets as the first female members of The Augusta National. Their memberships are far more than any fashion show. Rice played a round with Phil Mickelson on the previous Sunday at Augusta National.
The long-time player/caddy team of Ben Crenshaw and Carl Jackson played in their 36th Masters tournament together. It was Crenshaw's 42nd Masters and Jackson's 52nd Masters which is not too surprisingly a record for Masters caddies. The two have just released a book : Two Roads To Augusta which is a must have for any golf fan.
The Augusta National and The Masters exemplify the integrity of the game. It was never any more evident than this week when penalties were issued to amateurs and champions alike. And each golfer reacted with professionalism and the spirit of the game. (Wonderful stories were shared about Bobby Jones penalizing himself a stroke in a tournament when he saw his golf ball move even though no one else did. )
This is The Masters. There is no running. There is no bending of the rules. There is however unpredictable weather that changes faster than Bubba Watson's tee shot zipping down the fairway.
Russell Henley (age 23) former University of Georgia golfer from Macon had a solid round with an opening even par in his first Masters appearance.
Crowd favorite American Fred Couples (age 53) played amazing golf for any age throughout the tournament as did Bernhard Langer (age 55) with a string of birdies on Sunday.
The Masters is where you sit amongst the Georgia pines eating your club sandwich and enjoying a beverage of your choice while having a conversation with patrons from Australia, China and Ireland. You meet people from other states and nations and you welcome them to this magnificent tournament. You see patrons wearing badges from many past tournaments and you see first-time visitors absorbing the breath-taking beauty of the place. You meet people who have this journey on their bucket list. You have reunions with gallery guards who have the same post at a certain spot each year.
Tiger Woods was on the leader board. Jim Furyk. Luke Donald. Matt Kuchar. Couples. Langer. McIlroy. Oleson. Snedeker. Some players made early charges toward the top. Some suddenly appeared on Sunday. Some quietly maintained consistent under par rounds each day.
The leader board changed many times over the past four days as many nations collectively held their breath as their golf ambassadors raised their flags and made their putts. It is hard to imagine that any nation wanted it, needed it, longed for it, waited for it and fought for it as Australia has for so very long. Marc Leishman and Jason Day were in the thick of it all week. Greg Norman was oh so close in 1986, 1987, and 1996.
But it was meant to be for 32 year old Aussie Adam Scott who got to embrace his caddy Steve Williams, his competitor Angel Cabrera and then his father in a moment he said he will never forget. He wished his mother and sister could have been there but knew they were watching.
Adam Scott is now being called The Wizard of Oz and Great Scott ! Well deserved. All of Australia was, after all, depending on him. C'mon Aussie they were thinking. C'mon Aussie they were cheering !
Scott spoke of the encouragement he felt from the Augusta National patrons. All of Australia was watching. All of Augusta was watching. Golf fans everywhere were watching and thinking: Good on you, Scott. That green jacket looks good on you. *
* Good On You or Good onya is an Aussie expression from "down under " meaning :Excellent or Very Good...Good For you...Well Done...
Scott's birdie putt on the 18th green appeared to have won the tournament and he screamed " C'mon Aussie" just prior to Angel Cabrera revealing aome Argentinian magic with his 7 iron. Early evening was slipping into nightfall as the two engaged in a hard fought sudden death playoff that went from hole 18 to hole 10 before Scott claimed the green jacket.
The entire Masters week had, as always, been filled with emotional pairings and thrilling golf shots. Moments included Masters Champion and Golf Legend Tom Watson and 14 year old Tianlang Guan playing a practice round together. The teen from China is the youngest participant to ever play in the Masters.
The Thursday honorary starters trio of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player hit three shots straight down the pristine first fairway of the Augusta National. They are simply the best. They engage with patrons. They sign autographs for children. They pose for photographs. They play in the Par 3 tournament to the delight of thousands. They ARE golf.
Condoleeza Rice and Darla Moore debuted their green jackets as the first female members of The Augusta National. Their memberships are far more than any fashion show. Rice played a round with Phil Mickelson on the previous Sunday at Augusta National.
The long-time player/caddy team of Ben Crenshaw and Carl Jackson played in their 36th Masters tournament together. It was Crenshaw's 42nd Masters and Jackson's 52nd Masters which is not too surprisingly a record for Masters caddies. The two have just released a book : Two Roads To Augusta which is a must have for any golf fan.
The Augusta National and The Masters exemplify the integrity of the game. It was never any more evident than this week when penalties were issued to amateurs and champions alike. And each golfer reacted with professionalism and the spirit of the game. (Wonderful stories were shared about Bobby Jones penalizing himself a stroke in a tournament when he saw his golf ball move even though no one else did. )
This is The Masters. There is no running. There is no bending of the rules. There is however unpredictable weather that changes faster than Bubba Watson's tee shot zipping down the fairway.
Russell Henley (age 23) former University of Georgia golfer from Macon had a solid round with an opening even par in his first Masters appearance.
Crowd favorite American Fred Couples (age 53) played amazing golf for any age throughout the tournament as did Bernhard Langer (age 55) with a string of birdies on Sunday.
The Masters is where you sit amongst the Georgia pines eating your club sandwich and enjoying a beverage of your choice while having a conversation with patrons from Australia, China and Ireland. You meet people from other states and nations and you welcome them to this magnificent tournament. You see patrons wearing badges from many past tournaments and you see first-time visitors absorbing the breath-taking beauty of the place. You meet people who have this journey on their bucket list. You have reunions with gallery guards who have the same post at a certain spot each year.
Tiger Woods was on the leader board. Jim Furyk. Luke Donald. Matt Kuchar. Couples. Langer. McIlroy. Oleson. Snedeker. Some players made early charges toward the top. Some suddenly appeared on Sunday. Some quietly maintained consistent under par rounds each day.
The leader board changed many times over the past four days as many nations collectively held their breath as their golf ambassadors raised their flags and made their putts. It is hard to imagine that any nation wanted it, needed it, longed for it, waited for it and fought for it as Australia has for so very long. Marc Leishman and Jason Day were in the thick of it all week. Greg Norman was oh so close in 1986, 1987, and 1996.
But it was meant to be for 32 year old Aussie Adam Scott who got to embrace his caddy Steve Williams, his competitor Angel Cabrera and then his father in a moment he said he will never forget. He wished his mother and sister could have been there but knew they were watching.
Adam Scott is now being called The Wizard of Oz and Great Scott ! Well deserved. All of Australia was, after all, depending on him. C'mon Aussie they were thinking. C'mon Aussie they were cheering !
Scott spoke of the encouragement he felt from the Augusta National patrons. All of Australia was watching. All of Augusta was watching. Golf fans everywhere were watching and thinking: Good on you, Scott. That green jacket looks good on you. *
* Good On You or Good onya is an Aussie expression from "down under " meaning :Excellent or Very Good...Good For you...Well Done...
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sleep Deprivation
There are those of us who have a difficult time achieving peaceful slumber. We cannot get to sleep. We awake in the middle of the night and we cannot get back to sleep. Forty million Americans share our frustration. We are called insomniacs.
We suffer from sleep impotence. Braggarts are thrusting their chests out and boasting that they had eight, nine and sometimes more hours of sleep. Seriously ? We want witnesses. It is not as if we do not want sleep. We do. We want it . We need it. It is an essential part of our physical, emotional and mental health. It re-energizes us. It refreshes us.
Yet thirty percent of adults suffer from insomnia. No surprise that most of them are women. We think about everything when our exhausted heads hit the pillows. We hear barking dogs. We hear screeching tires. We hear crying babies. We hear the person next to us snoring. We hear voices that are not there.
In the movie The Money Pit, Tom Hanks' character gets trapped in the floor and is awake all night and at one point confesses that he thinks he saw the Care Bears. Hallucinations come with the territory. If you truly want to be thoroughly creeped out, invest in a noise machine. After two thousand repetitions of the same noises, the machine becomes satanic and starts telling you things like you will never sleep again, or you filed your taxes incorrectly.
Our brains go into overdrive when everyone else is relaxing. We begin to think of checklists dating back thirty years. Did I turn in that term paper? Is the iron turned off ? Did I pick up the prescription ? Did I mail my checks to save the sealions and redwoods and Democratic party ? If I did not then the ozone will disappear because of me. Entire human rights and environmental movements will fail because of me. Those are our disturbing thoughts.
If we accidentally choose television late at night we are bombarded with erectile dysfunction ads and unsettling programming. Should we drink ? Should we eat? Should we self-medicate? Sleeping aids are a $20 billion dollar industry. Suckers. You bought the noise machines. We do not need more noise. We need a telethon for sleep deprivation. We need a star-studded affair demanding research and results. We need sleep.
We must embrace the nap. A mere 45 minute nap can improve your mood and memory. Banking sleep over the weekend does not work. We have to incorporate the naps into a habit. Just like drinking warm milk can help us go to sleep. But it is not the milk but the habit of it that comforts and relaxes us.
Sleep is a challenging state for many of us. Know that it can help us to live longer, lose weight, have improved concentration and focus. We have to work at it one night at a time.
Count sheep. Count bottles of beer on the wall. Count the number of reality television shows that you find absurd. Count the Counting Crows. Count Dracula. Count Chocula. Count me in.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
We suffer from sleep impotence. Braggarts are thrusting their chests out and boasting that they had eight, nine and sometimes more hours of sleep. Seriously ? We want witnesses. It is not as if we do not want sleep. We do. We want it . We need it. It is an essential part of our physical, emotional and mental health. It re-energizes us. It refreshes us.
Yet thirty percent of adults suffer from insomnia. No surprise that most of them are women. We think about everything when our exhausted heads hit the pillows. We hear barking dogs. We hear screeching tires. We hear crying babies. We hear the person next to us snoring. We hear voices that are not there.
In the movie The Money Pit, Tom Hanks' character gets trapped in the floor and is awake all night and at one point confesses that he thinks he saw the Care Bears. Hallucinations come with the territory. If you truly want to be thoroughly creeped out, invest in a noise machine. After two thousand repetitions of the same noises, the machine becomes satanic and starts telling you things like you will never sleep again, or you filed your taxes incorrectly.
Our brains go into overdrive when everyone else is relaxing. We begin to think of checklists dating back thirty years. Did I turn in that term paper? Is the iron turned off ? Did I pick up the prescription ? Did I mail my checks to save the sealions and redwoods and Democratic party ? If I did not then the ozone will disappear because of me. Entire human rights and environmental movements will fail because of me. Those are our disturbing thoughts.
If we accidentally choose television late at night we are bombarded with erectile dysfunction ads and unsettling programming. Should we drink ? Should we eat? Should we self-medicate? Sleeping aids are a $20 billion dollar industry. Suckers. You bought the noise machines. We do not need more noise. We need a telethon for sleep deprivation. We need a star-studded affair demanding research and results. We need sleep.
We must embrace the nap. A mere 45 minute nap can improve your mood and memory. Banking sleep over the weekend does not work. We have to incorporate the naps into a habit. Just like drinking warm milk can help us go to sleep. But it is not the milk but the habit of it that comforts and relaxes us.
Sleep is a challenging state for many of us. Know that it can help us to live longer, lose weight, have improved concentration and focus. We have to work at it one night at a time.
Count sheep. Count bottles of beer on the wall. Count the number of reality television shows that you find absurd. Count the Counting Crows. Count Dracula. Count Chocula. Count me in.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Keep Calm and...
Life distributes the ups and downs, the victories and defeats, the sunshine and the storms in typically equal fashion. And then some weeks, the news grows from dark to darker to darkest and try as we might we find ourselves more shaky than grounded. The darkness is overwhelming and our systems are overloaded. Those who care about us want to maintain normalcy and guide us away from the ledge. So-- we are instructed to above all else: remain calm.
Maybe. Maybe not. If ever there was a time to break out your crazy, I must advocate doing it now. It doesn't matter if your team lost or a business deal went awry. Your back deck collapsed. Your marriage collapsed. Your dad had a heart attack. Your mom was hospitalized again. You just saw your client give an interview to TMZ. You agreed to be in a wedding and you just saw the big reveal of the uglier-than-usual bridesmaids dresses. Your child tripped again and that bone was just beginning to heal. The concert you so wanted to attend is the same day as : fill in the blank with your kids' events.Your dog ate your homework and your laptop and your dinner. You forgot to pay the water bill. You lost a dear friend. Your favorite television show was cancelled. It is time to break out your crazy.
Let's go CRAZY !! Ever heard of Prince? Let's go crazy !! Calm? We'll show 'em calm ! Play those tunes loud and proud. Pop those tops and toast the honorees ! This one is for the cable guy! When life throw's you crazy, some times you have to return serve.
Fight back. It's hammer time. No youngsters, that doesn't mean a DIY project. Hammer time! Break out your favorite music and let it scream from your sound system. How about a little DEVO ? Whip It. Or....Watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Break out that soundtrack ! Let's do The Time Warp again !
And considering what you want to do...this IS calm. Carry on.
Maybe. Maybe not. If ever there was a time to break out your crazy, I must advocate doing it now. It doesn't matter if your team lost or a business deal went awry. Your back deck collapsed. Your marriage collapsed. Your dad had a heart attack. Your mom was hospitalized again. You just saw your client give an interview to TMZ. You agreed to be in a wedding and you just saw the big reveal of the uglier-than-usual bridesmaids dresses. Your child tripped again and that bone was just beginning to heal. The concert you so wanted to attend is the same day as : fill in the blank with your kids' events.Your dog ate your homework and your laptop and your dinner. You forgot to pay the water bill. You lost a dear friend. Your favorite television show was cancelled. It is time to break out your crazy.
Let's go CRAZY !! Ever heard of Prince? Let's go crazy !! Calm? We'll show 'em calm ! Play those tunes loud and proud. Pop those tops and toast the honorees ! This one is for the cable guy! When life throw's you crazy, some times you have to return serve.
Fight back. It's hammer time. No youngsters, that doesn't mean a DIY project. Hammer time! Break out your favorite music and let it scream from your sound system. How about a little DEVO ? Whip It. Or....Watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Break out that soundtrack ! Let's do The Time Warp again !
And considering what you want to do...this IS calm. Carry on.
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