Halloween

Halloween

Greetings Golfers,

Here’s the AI Overview of Halloween:

“We celebrate Halloween because it has ancient pagan and Christian roots and has evolved into a modern secular holiday focused on costumes, candy, and spooky fun. The tradition began with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the summer and the beginning of winter, a time when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred. To ward off spirits, they lit bonfires and wore costumes. Later, the Christian Church created All Saints' Day on November 1, and the night before became All Hallow’s Eve, which eventually became Halloween.”

I think it’s fun … and I love giving out candy. Fortunately, we live on a street in a little town that is packed on Halloween … I give out over 300 candy bars from 5-9pm … seriously. It’s hilarious!

However, the concept of the blurred boundary between the living and the dead is not hilarious and yet needs to be part of our awareness.

Just a few days ago … a close friend of future Nephew-In-Law lost a close friend at a wedding in the Dominican Republic. You might have heard of his passing - Cody “Beef” Franke. He was a Bar Stool Sports Golf Personality. Here’s a quick look at his life.

I never met him. But he sounds like he was a great guy. Though only 31 years old … he had a huge impact on the people around him. His love for golf was only overshadowed by his love for people. R.I.P.

The other night, I had a meeting with a man almost 3x Cody’s age. He’s one of my son’s neighbors and he’s had an amazing life. He immigrated to America in 1959 from India, and got a college degree in electrical engineering. Then went back home to get married … and then they came back and settled in Minnesota.

As much as he was into engineering (he told me he was known as the “problem solver”) … he was even more into his religion … he’s a Sikh.

Because Sikhism is only 5% in India … you can imagine its tiny size in America. He herded up Sikh organizations in Minnesota and built a Sikh temple.

Why am I telling you about him? Because it’s inspiring to learn about someone who has taken on life to the fullest. I was in awe listening to his stories. He’s very aware that he’s looking at the other side of life … and he wanted to share his story while he could.

It’s a shame the Cody “Beef” Franke couldn't live to the age of my son’s Sikh neighbor. But it seems like “Beef” had a wonderful life - short as it was.

Well, enjoy the fun of Halloween … but also take some time to reflect on the “other side” … and how fortunate we are to be on “this side.”

Cheers!

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com