By Dan Irvin
Anyone who has even the slightest interest in sports knows that a funny thing happened on Sunday. There was this coronation parade in Augusta, Georgia, that was to culminate in Jordan Spieth winning another Masters, another major golf tournament and “let’s hurry-up and get to the Green Jacket presentation and onto 60 Minutes already.”
Then in a matter of a few minutes and a couple of golf balls in the water and the Jacket was headed for England.
What’s the lesson? In sports, I guess, nothing is a sure thing.
I guess it was Ben Franklin, who wrote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” There are actually earlier citations – thank you, internet – but that’s not the point. Also, I’m sorry to bring this up about taxes and all, especially this week. Sorry, y’all.
By the way, I suppose you know the tax filing deadline is actually next Monday and not Friday, because of the Emancipation Day holiday being observed in the District of Columbia of Friday, April 15th this year. Amazing!
And on the matter, the inevitability of death: my wife and I just this weekend finished a book called Being Mortal, by a doctor called Atul Gawande.
With health care and retirement communities being such an integral part of our community and with the inescapability of the aging and passing of our parents and of ourselves, I really think this book should be considered required reading.
Overly simply stated, the theme of Dr. Gawande’s work is that at a time when modern medicine is capable of extending something called “life” almost indefinitely, it behooves all of us to consider and to discuss with our loved ones what is important in our lives and ultimately what we want the last few chapters to look and feel like.
Hey, it’s going to be nice and warm enough to play golf this week! Keep ‘em out of the water!
Dan Irvin is Vice-President of the Bloomington Public Library Foundation Board, and a member of the Heartland Community College Foundation Board.
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