A few years back, I experienced for the first time the announcement and subsequent mourning of a friend online, in a social network. Words were carefully and carelessly tossed around as each person attempted to put into language the shared and unshared feelings of experiences with the deceased, of what he might have done had he been given more time and ultimately, of the immeasurable loss that, like a wave, appears to increase in force and coverage, no matter if it truly does. On and on the posts, pictures and links went, until an deeply-profound portrait of 40 years in the life of a man was painted.
When I saw Ran's announcement yesterday morning, my initial reaction was identical to that of many: complete disbelief, that a Titan could perish, without anticipation. Just as shocked as I was to learn a few years back that JNC is just a kid, so was I to discover that Tom was less than a decade older than I. My next step was to search my 902 messages, hoping to find one or more from Tom; it was not to be. Didn't take a class with Maya Angelou at Wake, didn't exchange messages with Tom...major regrets.
And now, after reading nearly four pages of reactions from my friends (met and unmet) from GCA, I realize that, as some of you have commented, this place does matter. It matters a lot. It matters because we meet each other at golf courses far and near, not having a clue what the other looks like OR really acts like. It matters because we argue and debate and sometimes insult online, but ultimately we remember that we are kindred spirits, mates across time and space, bonded by this game and its playgrounds.
I'm going to the garage right now, to grab a beer and toast Tom MacWood. Then, I'll look for an address to send a card of condolence to Tom's family. And then, I'll come back to this community until my wife yells that I'm ignoring her again, to learn more about golf course architecture.
Hey, George Pazin, how about we restart that thread on who we are? Seems like the right way to meet each other again and to remember great contributors like Tom?