The Caddy

For some reason a memory from my caddying days has been revisiting me of late. In fact it is one of the brightest memories of those days. I was caddying for a pair of skilled young golfers entered in a tournament which they, with any breaks going their way, had good chance of winning. At one point in an early round of the tournament I was sitting near the fairway over a rise and out of sight waiting with the golf bag for my golfer to catch up with me. When he finally arrived he asked me calmly and good-naturedly if I had taken any of his golf balls while he was gone. He told me he would be glad to give me some balls if I wanted them, if I rightly recall. In actual fact I can gladly say it didn’t even occur to me to steal anything out of his bag, and however I responded must have been convincing enough that he believed me. After that he trusted me and requested me in the additional rounds of the tournament. He took more of a personal interest in me than any golfer I can remember. And he was young enough that he could still closely relate to being my age. It felt good to be on the requested caddy list. It was the best relationship I ever had as a caddy with a golfer including with my own brother. I was extremely well-paid and, though I don’t remember them winning the tournament, they came close. But they definitely won with me and left me feeling like a winner!