Generations????

I've got a few stories to relate and then we'll see where we end up.

1...................

This story came to mind when Angel Cabrera won the US Open Golf tournament a few
weeks ago because I was reminded of his countryman, Roberto DiVincenzo, who
played on the PGA tour many years ago when you could probably count the number
of golf courses in South America on both hands - let alone in Argentina. There is a
more famous story about how Roberto lost the Masters Golf Tournament one year
by signing a scorecard that was incorrect. But I want to tell you another story.
I heard this years ago when I was very young and I haven't been able to authenticate
it, but I am pretty sure it is true.

Back in the days when Mr. DiVincenzo was playing on the PGA tour golf was not
the very high profile sport it is now. The crowds were not huge, there were very few
reporters following the tour, very few tournaments were televised and the prize money
was miniscule compared to what it is now (even adjusting for inflation). That being said
many of the golfers were more approachable and accessible to the fans and there
weren't too many places foreign professionals playing the game and almost all of
them were playing on the PGA tour. As far as I know DiVincenzo was the only
South American playing on the tour at that time. He was renown for his
manners and his kindness.

Anyway he placed highly in a tournament one week (he may have even won - I can't
recall). He probably won a couple of thousand (a good chunk of changed back then)
and of course that was in the days before automatic deposits, and before most of the pros
had accountants, financial advisers, and business managers. The guys used to pick
up there checks right there and either cash them or send them into their bank. Well
that week Roberto was walking away from the clubhouse pocketing his check when
he was approached by this youngish woman who told him a story about her young
child who was very ill and would die soon because she could not afford to pay for
his medical care. Without blinking an eye DiVincenzo pulled his prize money
check out of his wallet and endorsed it over to the woman who, with teary eyes,
thanked him profusely and left.

Apparently someone saw this happen and told a reporter who thought it was a
great story. Even though he wasn't sure he would even write the story because
(unlike reporters today) he thought it might be an intrusion on the privacy and
personal life of the golfer thought that he would check out the facts (again unlike
many reporters today). What he found out was that the woman was a phony and
a con artist - there was no sick child. Apparently she had targeted the Argentinian
because as I said earlier, he was well known for his kindness. The reporter talked
with DiVincenzo at an ensuing tournament and related what he had found out.
The man from South America listened and then said, "You mean there was no sick
and dying child? Why that is the best news I have heard in a long time."


2........................

A friend of mine related this story to me. He owns an unaffiliated motel in a small
town in New Mexico. Not that many rooms but clean. Like one of theold "motor
courts" you used to see on state routes in just about any small to medium
sized town. Those of you that have reached a certain age will remember staying in these
places with your folks back when the family vacation consisted of piling everyone in the
station wagon to go to Gatorland in Florida or Mammoth Caves in Kentucky.

But on with the story. It seems that one winter night the manager of the hotel -
an older gentleman - got a call from the owner of a diner just down the road who
had a request. A young couple with a baby had come into the diner and as
he wasn't busy he fell into conversation with them. As I recall the young man
was a fairly new enlistee in the military and he, his wife, and newborn were
traveling to his new post. Unfortunately, not far outside the town their windshield
had acquired a sizable hole caused by a rock thrown by the tire of a truck in
front of them. With the snow and sleet blowing in on them and the baby it was
impossible for them to continue their trip but they also had been planning on
driving through the night since they had barely enough money for gas to get them
to their destination.

So the diner owner was calling to see if there was anything the motel manager
could do to help the young couple out. The manager said to send them on down
and he would put them up for the night - no charge. And while he was waiting for
the couple he called a friend of his at home who happened to own (for want
of a better phrase) an auto junk yard. He related the young couple's plight and
asked his friend if he had a windshield that would fit their car. The man said yes
and told the manager to have the couple leave the car outside the yard that night
and he would make sure the windshield was installed first thing in the morning.
No charge.

So the couple came and got checked in and the manager helped the young man
deliver the car to the yard. Now checkout time at the hotel was 11AM but not
being busy and knowing the circumstances the manager told his staff not to
worry that the couple had not checked out. Finally at 4PM the young wife
showed up at the desk and said that the housekeeper had walked into the room
at 3:30 PM where she and her husband were apparently still asleep in bed.
The manager apologized and said that it being so long past checkout and with
no car parked out front the maid must have assumed they were gone. At this
point the woman got very angry with the manager and said it was the worst
hotel they have ever stayed in and they would never stay in that hotel again and
they were ready to leave so someone needed to give her husband a ride to
pick up their car at the yard.


3.....................

Not long ago when I lived in Fort Walton Beach up in the Florida panhandle
there was a young woman who worked at the convenience store not far from
where I lived. I used to stop in occasionally to pick up my lotto tickets or
some small item. And as is my want I was friendly and conversational.
Now after a while it became obvious that this young woman was pregnant and
so we would chat for a moment or two when it wasn't busy about her upcoming
event. I asked after her with the other clerks and found that she had had a
healthy son. Eventually she came back to work and at times she had her
baby with her and I thought good for her and good for the store for allowing
her to bring her baby with her.

I happened to be in the store on day and someone she knew was there. They
were in the midst of a somewhat heated discussion. The young woman was
complaining about how what she was getting in government assistance wasn't
enough. (Now let me say that I have no problem with people getting assistance
when they really need it - especially if they are working and just need to be
supplemented for a period of time.) The woman's friend replied that at least
she was getting some help and should be thankful to taxpayers for paying
for her assistance. The young woman replied, "The taxpayers aren't paying
for it - the government is."


4................

A few years ago there was a story of a nine year old boy in New York City
who was arrested for robbing and killing the owner of a corner store in his
neighborhood. As the investigation it turned out that the store owner was
kind to all the kids in the area - even to the point of giving them free candy
and treats from time to time when they didn't have any money. Well in the
course of gathering the boy's story they discover that the man had never been
mean to him and, in fact, the boy admitted he liked the store owner. And
when they finally got around to asking him why he had killed the man he
said that he had gone in to rob him and the man wouldn't give him the
money so he had shot him and taken the money. And the reason he
robbed the man? He needed $200 to buy a pair of the latest and
greatest athletic shoes because the other kids were laughing at him and
his year-old sneakers.


So what am I trying to say? Well, it seems that each ensuing generation
has become less aware of the plight of other people around them. Each
new generation seems to be more and more a "me first" generation if not
a "me only" generation. It increasingly appears that many younger
people feel entitled to things just because they are drawing breath,
do not feel the need to say thank you, and are able to justify doing
anything to get what they want (or THINK they need). At this point
this is just an observation. I believe there are many reasons for the
development of this attitude but those are for another day. And if my
fingers weren't cramping up I could type many more examples of
what I am talking about.


Still.......................

I stared writing this yesterday and I suppose I was feeling somewhat cynical
(but not without reason I might add) and so I got a gift. Last night I was
watching a rerun of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I had seen it when
it originally aired but the kids drew me in. Four children who were living
with their Grandmother because their Mom went over the edge from drugs
and other personal problems. Age range five years to ten years. The
Grandmother worked at the school the children attended and they all
lived in a dilapidated trailer. So it was great that ABC showed up to
build them a new house but that wasn't the gift I got. They send the
families on vacation for a week while they build them a home so when
Ty asked them if they had ever been on vacation they all said "no" and
when he asked them if they wanted to go on vacation they all said in a
loud, unified voice, "Yes SIR". These kids were living without their Mother
and in pretty tough circumstances but they were grateful and respectful.
So that was my gift - that even if it seems the scale has tipped quite a
way in the wrong direction maybe there is some hope....still.