THIRTY THOUSAND DAYS
Most of us will live a life span of 30,000 days. With the good Lord willing, some will have a few more and others may have less. Of these 30,000 days how many will you truly remember…… remember in a sense of actually being able to recollect every “footstep” or “breath” and commit to permanent memory? Most of us might “vividly” remember 12-24 events in our life. Unfortunately half of these events will be tragic but the other 50% are probably happy or euphoric.
It is the 10th anniversary of 9-11 that is prompting this article. I can retrace every “footstep” of that tragic and sad Tuesday morning. I was installing new garage doors on the cartshed at work. I couldn’t believe what was happening and found it disheartening that such evil was invading our homeland. I also remember that John Hadwick (former superintendent at Jack Rabbit Run GC) and I were to attend GCSAA’s 75th Anniversary Celebration in Lawrence on that Thursday. It was to be special day for GCSAA and for my good friend Brad Pearson (former superintendent of Holdrege CC.) Brad was commissioned to create a bronze sculpture of “Old Tom Morris” to be positioned at the front entrance at GCSAA Headquarters. The unveiling was scheduled for Thursday the 13th. Needless to say, the celebration was cancelled and many participants en route to Lawrence via commercial air flights were stranded. This year’s anniversary brought back many memories of that tragic 9-11 event. I was especially touched seeing the surviving children being interviewed, 10 years later, after losing their parents. A very important part of their lives was stripped and will leave a needless void.
Another unforgettable event was the assassination of President Kennedy. I remember being on the playground at school playing soccer. When we came in from recess, our 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Crawford, was called out to the hallway. When she returned she informed the class that JFK had been shot. I remember that clear crisp fall day so clearly!
The Challenger disaster of 1986, the assassination of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the falling of the Berlin Wall, and Hurricane Katrina are other historic events that remained etched in my mind. I also remember the sudden shock of losing a close, personal friend when a driver of cement truck fell asleep and crashed head on with my friend. I can easily retrace the pain, anger, and sorrow of the family in those following days.
However, there are other memorable events that are happy……weddings, birth of our children, notable achievements. The birth of my three children is most memorable. Ryan, my oldest, was born in April 1981 B.C. (before cell phones). I was preparing Heritage Hills for its course opening in May. My banker, George, drove out to the course as I was fertilizing the #16 green and yelled from the parking lot across a wide ravine, “Bill, it’s time to get to the hospital.” George was a banker that took “personal banking” to a new level! Tyler, my middle boy, decided it was time to be born as I was “putting out” on #4 green on Wednesday Night Golf League. My youngest son, Tony, was born in December….I was in the shop sharpening mowers.
Of our 30,000 days of mortality, approximately 16,000 days or 50% will include a time commitment to our jobs or employment. It is only natural to assume many of our memorable events will be affected by our jobs. Most of the events described in the above paragraphs entwined the work place. But it is not the job environment that has made these days eventful or memorable.
In the scheme of life, “Just how important is our job?” Employment is important in that it provides us the financial means to be sustainable and provide for our families. Most of us have a passion for this industry and strive for excellence. That is good thing, but let’s not lose sight of a bigger picture and the 3 F’s……faith, friends, and family. How many days do you have?
Bill Bieck, CGCS
