Thoughts on Father's Day - Part 2

Talk about a character!  Ken Beckman was one of those.  Known as “Kenny” by his railroading buddies, and as “Kem” by his lovely wife, he was a natural athlete, a turtle hunter, a card player, and yes – a colorful personality.  His life was changed one fateful day when he was struck by a train in a railroading accident that took both of his legs, but not his life.  The Director grew up with this man as his role model.  This father with no legs started Little League baseball in his small Hoosier hometown, and played catch for hours with his young son who became a talented athlete.  This father didn’t play golf – never picked up a club in fact. However, his example teaches many lessons of the game.  From him, we can all learn lessons about perseverance, keeping your sense of humor, finding a way to be a winner and overcoming the odds.  If you visited his home long enough to require a restroom break, he would ask you to leave a quarter for the privilege.  He didn’t say goodbye as you headed out the door…He told you to “keep your tailgate up!”  This father instilled the notion that practice makes perfect in his son at an early age. The Director actually finds joy in practice.  He delights in hitting balls in the hot sun and picking them up, only to do it all over again.  He reminisces about his younger days “beating balls” until he had bloody blisters on his hands, grooving a swing that would stand up for years to come.  This brings to mind the story of another golfer who practiced at the age of 8 with a rusty club near Texas cotton fields in the hot sun. As a young caddie, he would hit 300 balls a day.  Lee Trevino nearly lost his life when he was struck by lightning in the midst of a successful career.  Lightning was no match for this man who had struggled to make a name for himself on the PGA Tour.  He had taken Jack Nicklaus to an 18-hole play-off to win the 1971 US Open, and followed that up with the Canadian Open and British Open titles in the next 20 days.  Lee Trevino knows something about having heart and character.  He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974.  Then the lightning struck in 1975, followed by surgery and back pain.  He considered quitting, but his wife told him “Those clubs don’t know how old you are.”  Trevino found a way to be a champion again, and won the Vardon Trophy again in 1980.  Lee Trevino never knew his father.  The Director knew his father, and knows he is a better person for it.  As long as I can remember, he has encouraged people to show appreciation for their families.  For Father’s Day, he would tell anyone he meets to remember to get in touch with their father while they still can.  Ken wouldn’t want us to be sad in his absence.  He would want us to keep the tailgate up.