A Summer of Interesting Pairs

Mike and I make an interesting pair, partly because of our age difference but mostly because of our wise-ass banter. Over a season of golf, however, we have met numerous interesting pairs.

We played golf with many father/son pairs, which I find touching because these pairs have ranged all ages. We played with a 45-year old father who was diagnosed with throat cancer and given 6 months to live 4 years ago and whose family lived in Biloxi and had survived Hurricane Katrina the week before we met him. His son was 5 years old and adorable. He talked during everyone's back swing and jumped on the green, but he was very cute--telling me 3 times that his grandparents gave him his 3 Snoopy golf clubs and that he missed them very much--they live in Dallas.

We played a sometimes entertaining round of golf with 2 friends (not friends of ours but friends with each other)--Hugh and Dale. Hugh teed off all holes with his cigarette hanging from his mouth, ala John Daly. Dale drank 12 beers on the back nine, tipping the cart girl, nicknamed "Sweetie," $5 each time she came by in a not-so-veiled attempt to hit on her.

We played golf with 2 reitred men who went to WestPoint together and had been friends for 40 years. One was a retired CEO of a large company. His friend was a gruff colonel who looked like he had been stricken with a fatal disease when he realized he had to play golf with a woman, but who warmed up to me, complementing my swing on the last hole.

Fortunately, everyone has been patient with me, and they typically enjoy the sarcastic comments between Mike and me.