Dornoch Golf Club, slightly south of Delaware, Ohio(birthplace of Branch Rickey) is a classic course, The original 9 holes was designed by Donald Ross. If you've never heard of him research his biography.
In 1998 the course brought in Fuzzy Zoeller to add another 9 holes. Actually, Fuzzy showed up for the ribbon cutting. The nine was designed by Michael Herzdon but that's another story.
I figureatively lived on that course; made many friends. There's nothing like having golf buddies. For one thing, and this important, golfers don't cheat so once always a friend forever. If perchance, a guy does fudge on the numbers he'll be ostracized from the group for eternity.
One day in 2010 I was on the driving range. Personally, hitting range balls has always been for fun for me. Standing next to me was a mammoth person. He was around 6'7" and must have weighed around 250 lbs. His size piqued my interest. Did I mention he was a Black man?
I'm one of those guys who when around other minorities tell myself, "Don't say anything stupid", if you know what I mean. For instance, some folks instead of saying hello might blurt out a line from the old Amos n' Andy radio show, "Hello der' in a deep gutteral tone.
I opened the conversation with the obvious, "So, where did you play basketball in college?" I'd ask that of a White guy with that size. It's a conversation opener.
In today's society I'm sure that opening would garner me a look of 'cancel you' but ten years ago it was okay.
The guy laughed and the conversation started-------and it's kept going to this day. We've traveled together to many areas. If I went into bars I'd want him with me.
The extra neat aspect about having a Black buddy is we can say anything, ask anything, tell each other anything and as it would be said in a Seinfeld episonde, 'It stays in the vault'.
The man's name is Jeffrey. He played basketball for Dick Vitale at the Univ. of Detroit. He's a Christian, a father, and a husband. When life throws him curveballs he prays. We also laugh together, we laugh endlessly.
Yesterday he was at our condo and we were watching college basketball. At one point I asked him, "Jeffrey, what the hell's the story with Black kids being named JeQuon, Shontay', DeJawn, and the like?
He laughed. Then said, "MJ, questions like those are the reason I love you so much."
If you don't have a Black pal you should get one. Believe it or not they're just like everyone else; children of God.
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