| On a brisk and frosty morning, the day after | | | | base of a sapling. I finished three-putting and walked |
| Thanksgiving my son and his brother-in-law golfed at | | | | toward the "golfside" attraction. My mind was thinking |
| Allenmore Golf Course in Tacoma, Washington. Our | | | | that perhaps this was the site of a golfing death just |
| tee time was 9:07 a.m. Tee boxes and fairways | | | | like you often see along roadsides at the scenes of |
| offered silver playing fields. Powered golf carts were | | | | auto accidents. I visualized someone my age and |
| to stay on the pathways and temporary greens | | | | weight stumbling and falling to the ground, perhaps |
| were mandatory on the early holes. | | | | first clutching their chest and then relaxing their grip |
| About the third or fourth hole I complained about the | | | | allowing a still glowing cigar to roll from their fingers |
| temperature. Scott, the brother-in-law said he would | | | | with embers and life slowly growing cold. |
| have some sympathy for me except for the fact I | | | | Greeting me was the sight of a miniature memorial. |
| was wearing shorts. I laughed and said, "I hold the | | | | Small American and Marine Corps. Flags flanked the |
| clubs with my hands, not my knees and it's my hands | | | | image of a "lance corporal" who died in "2005," which |
| that are freezing." | | | | was all I could read before my head dropped in |
| Simple putts hopped, skipped, and thudded to a stop | | | | instant sorrow. Four golf balls encircled a centered |
| with a layer of ice added to newly formed snowballs. | | | | one. I think there was writing on that one. Maybe |
| Drives weren't hit as hard as usual. Many shots | | | | they were each signed. I don't know. Perhaps the |
| resulted in stinging sensations and the grips just | | | | lance corporal died locally, but living in my community, |
| never felt right. Personally, I didn't want to walk that | | | | which includes the army base of Ft. Lewis and the air |
| much on the cold grass so took slow studied | | | | force base of Mchord Field, I knew in an instant this |
| backswings, controlled forward swings, and almost | | | | was a casualty of war and not golf. |
| aimed with deliberate approach shots. This was | | | | Credit card and mortgage bills arrive by mail telling us |
| unusual for me. I finally cut loose on the 18th hole, | | | | of payments and obligations for the lives we live. |
| and left the course one ball down. | | | | Crosses by the side of the road remind us of the |
| The tenth hole saw me with a nice drive that | | | | possible cost of driving. The size of our bellies signal |
| reached the top of a hill leaving a good look at the | | | | lifestyle excesses we choose. But, memorials beside |
| flag across a little valley. I didn't quite make the green | | | | fairways drive home the point of freedom and the |
| on the second shot, so had to chip onto the | | | | price of living in America. |
| regulation green. Shots requiring divots were | | | | I had a marvelous time golfing with Patrick and Scott. |
| questionable for me, although Scott and my son | | | | It was a gorgeous day for sharing. I tell people about |
| Patrick powered through the frozen ground where | | | | golf balls suspended on the frozen ponds at each of |
| they needed. I ended up with a long putt, which was | | | | the water hazards. I tell my other friends about |
| the result of a seven-iron attempt at bump and run. | | | | joking around. I tell them about excellent four-iron |
| Bad bump. No run. | | | | shots I made and almost playing an entire game |
| Past the hole and just over the berm, before the | | | | without suffering the loss of a ball, but I won't tell |
| golf path and the next fairway I could see small flags | | | | them about the memorial. I can write about it, but I |
| flying, which had been stuck into the ground at the | | | | can't talk about it. |