Tom Watson

I usually don't have the patience to watch Golf on TV, or anywhere else. This weekend was different because a guy who was winning tournaments in the 1970s was giving the youngsters a run for their money. He was trying to become the oldest champion in golf history.

Tom Watson showed us all the importance of determination, especially when you are up against great odds. Tom came through in spades this weekend.

Though the look in Tom Watson's eyes should not be forgotten by us newly minted 50-somethings. He did his best but it wasn't good enough. He was playing in a young man's sport, and at a very high level. There is nothing to be ashamed of here, and an object lesson for us all; though it still hurts for an old jock like me to watch.



Moral: Dare To Be Good.



Thanks, Tom.

"And That's The Way It Is"

It would be hard to write a blog about the 1960s and 1970's without mentioning the passing of Walter Cronkite. He read the news for CBS from 1962-81 and did it in an age when we trusted newsreaders more than we do now.

It has been noted in other outlets that more people now watch American Idol than they do the likes of Katie Couric, Brian Williams and Charles Gibson combined. Times have changed and families simply don't gather to eat dinner in front of the evening news anymore. There are just too many other ways to read the news for oneself, and these can be accomplished without the sanctimonious undertone which is so common among today's newsreaders. The "Talent" as they are euphemistically called by some, usually seem more intent on letting their declining viewership know exactly how they feel about a story, instead of letting the story be the lead.

Cronkite on the other hand, read the bare facts. He was studiously unemotional and never spoke down to us. His one moment of emotion on the air came when he had to announce the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He took his classes off, turned to look at the clock on the wall, and then told the nation that their President was dead. It was a calming and reassuring moment for a nation which sorely needed one.

The NY Times had a fine characterization of Cronkite in their obituary of him, which I have paraphrased for this entry:

"He looked like a kindly newspaper editor interrupted in the middle of a big news day, busy, of course, but never too busy to explain the latest developments to out-of-town visitors."

We will likely never see another one on TV like Walter Cronkite, and "his boyish enthusiasm." He was, in a phrase,"the most trusted man in America." Hard to call to mind anyone know who could be paid the same tribute.

Jim Velordi is still a Rocker

This photo of RHS 1977 grad Jim Velordi was posted on FaceBook by Jane Ratliff. He was playing with the band Walkin Joe at The Cave in Kennesaw, GA - July 12, 2009 and is the third from the left. Very cool to see someone doing something they obviously love to do.

The Wonder of Space Flight

A glance at today's NY Times reminded me that forty years ago we were all watching the first steps of earthlings on the moon. We all use to watch events like these together, usually in the early morning. There was a sense of pride in accomplishing each step of our progress to the ultimate goal of stepping foot on the moon. People actually camped at the site of the launch in Florida in order to get a better view of the launch. Hard to imagine us getting this exciting about anything today, at least in the same collective sense. We now all have our own enthusiasms and it takes a tragedy like 911, or a huge sporting event like the Super Bowl, for us all to watch something together.

I like to make the observation at business lunches that the same courage it took to suggest we land a man on the moon is probably missing today. Of course, this may be a lingering effect of the loss of the 3 martini lunch, too. After a few cocktails we all become more brave and the thought of spending billions in order to conduct scientific research doesn't seem so out of the ordinary. If you posit the same idea to a bunch of people drinking iced tea and lemonade you will likely receive a less than enthusiastic response, and the cost would be brought up and the possible loss of life.

It is all too bad because I feel we lack a certain swagger and confidence. We need these sort of challenges in order to improve ourselves and the world around us. To dwell on what might go wrong is to take time away from reflecting upon what might go very right. Going to the moon was the correct decision and we are all the better for it.

Men Of 1977 in the Adirondacks

Tom Thurston was kind enough to send this photo to me from a recent gathering of men from the class of 1977. In his own words:

Paul,

The pictures of some of the “Girls of ‘77” caught our eye and we wanted to try and give some balance to your blog. Of course the girls pictured are a lot easier on the eyes then the tired old broken down ex-jocks pictured here at the Sagamore Golf Club on Lake George, NY but we definitely had more than our share of laughs when we got together.

Tom

Pictured; Front Row: Frank O’Connor, Sam Cermack
Back Row; Brian McKinley, Bill Nolan, Barry Gainey, Tom Thurston, Bob Brierly, Chris Duflocq, Paul Tobin

Not Pictured: Jim Velordi, Dan Conte



Please keep the pictures coming!