April 24, 2019
By Rick Smit
An adventure of a lifetime is something worth thinking about.
There is, of course, our own lifetime adventure – we’re right in the middle of that one.
But then, there are the lifetimes of others – those who came before or after us or right about the same time we did. Lifetime adventures share one thing in common: all have a beginning and an end.
10th Hole, Augusta National Golf Course. Courtesy Wikipedia.
Individual journeys overlap, and time is shared by separate travelers as lives intersect. Identical memories of time can be carried forward by separate adventurers.
And when journeys near their end, these memories become precious treasure.
I recently shared yesterday’s treasure and tomorrow’s bounty with a fellow time traveler. My life’s best buddy and I enjoyed a five-day kaleidoscope of memories when he visited. Stage four cancer did not stop him from an active schedule of walking and talking, from Sedona to Tempe Town Lake to the Charles Schwab Cup Golf Tournament at Phoenix Country Club.
Watching golf was the perfect place for us to be since we shared an abundance of golf memories. Fifty years of friendship had delivered many memorable moments, but none more joy-filled than on the golf course.
We’d both even made it to Augusta National Golf Club, home of the sacred Masters Golf Tournament, although individually and in different years. More than any other golf tournament, we loved The Masters and each year we couldn’t wait for the hallowed stretch of the back nine on Sunday.
But this Sunday, Scott was headed home, our holiday over. We hugged at the curb of the airport and agreed that the next time we were together we’d hit a bucket of balls.
As I drove away, memories continued to light the corners of my mind, including a fresh, new memory from just earlier in the day. My eyes pooled with tears.
“So, have you thought about the before and after of life?” I’d asked my old buddy over a cup of coffee in the morning sunshine. “Oh, sure,” he’d replied.
“Well, what do you think?” I’d continued.
“Well, I hope I go to heaven and see my grandparents,” he’d answered with a confident tone.
“My idea of heaven is one great golf course after another,” I’d suggested.
“Oh, yeah, that reminds me,” my friend replied, “I’m telling you right now that when your time comes, I’ll be waiting for you on the 10th tee box at Augusta.”
His words caught me off guard. He was describing my own entry into the promised land. I put my hand over my eyes to hide the tears I couldn’t stop.
“I’ll have it all set up,” he smiled, “just you and me, pal.”
I removed my hand from my eyes and extended it to him. He gripped it tightly as my tears flowed and I blubbered, “I love you, Scottly.” “I love you, too, Smitty,” he replied.
On the way to the airport we decided that Spring Training 2020 would be a worthy event for more memory making. I’m counting on seeing my pal again then – the good Lord willing. And if not, I’ll look forward to that heavenly memory yet to come – the back nine at Augusta National where Scottly and I will play golf again like we did when we were young.
An adventure of a lifetime is something worth thinking about. Amen.
Spring Training! Courtesy Wikipedia.
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