Today is my father Ed's 83rd birthday. Born in 1935, he's lived through World War II (he always remembers the teacher writing 4-4-44 on the board), the Cold War, Sputnik, the Kennedy Assassination (another euphemism for murder), Vietnam, the Moon landing, Houston boom, 80s market crash, the Internet rise, 9/11, and now Donald Trump as President. He's seen a lot of change.
He spent 50 years working as a lawyer, law professor, dabbled in real estate, and is a prolific writer. I've got the stories written down to prove it. He's been married to my mother since 1961. Two great kids, as he likes to say :)
And he's led an interesting life. Among people he's met and known: George H.W. Bush, James Baker, Dr. Denton Cooley, Harvey Penick, Davis Love Jr and III, Ben Crenshaw, a number of WWII fighter pilot aces.
He came of age in 1950s America, a time when college sports didn't have scholarships like now, before interstate highways, before school integration, when there was an active military draft. He's got that sensibility, work hard and the reward should come. That's his background.
Ed's in good health now - he takes no medicines, stays active, regularly shoot his age or better at golf. Even if he complains it's from the senior tees. That's kind of a metaphor for him: play your ball and the course as you find it, and keep moving forward.
Happy Birthday Dad!
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