Originally published as “Summer Rain and the Golf Shack – Going Old School”
Last night my friend Joel and I tried to get in a few holes of golf, but torrential rains led us back to the little shack that was trying to be passed off as a clubhouse, at this point – because Joel and I both wanted to continue to play golf, I kind of wish we brought all our different golf nets to have a little more fun indoors.
As we dried off, I noticed something you don’t see very often. Behind the counter a high school student wasn’t tapping on a smartphone or flicking through his iPad.
He was reading a book!
Seeing him reading took me aback for a second. I don’t see too many paper books in kids’ hands these days. I couldn’t stop myself and had to speak to him, “Wow, you’re reading a book,” I said to him, sounding almost stunned.
It turns out it was Edith Hamilton’s classic book on mythology, the same edition I had on my shelf for many years. “Yeah,” he said, “This book explains almost everything you need to know.” (Not only was he reading it, but he sounded enthusiastic.)
Summer rain. A kid reading paper books in a dumpy shack. It brings me back in time.
So old school.
On a related note, many mornings these days I see a 20-Something kid regularly in the local coffee shop. Whenever I see him, he is buying a coffee and a newspaper!!!!!! (Seriously, when was the last time you saw a 20-something kid buying a newspaper?)
I see this kid a lot and each time it throws when I see him with his coffee and newspaper. I am always tempted to say something to him kind of like I did with the kid in the golf shack, but refrain for fear he will think I am a strange old coot.
Talk about old school.
These two encounters jolted me back in time, leading me to bring back memories of senior year in high school in New York City.
We were allowed to leave the building during lunch. I did a lot. There was a deli on 16th St. and 2nd Ave in Manhattan. On most days, I got the NY Post (which was a very different paper back then) and head to the deli, where I read one great columnist after another. I am in heaven. The NY Post, Pete Hamill (my favorite columnist) and corned beef. It doesn’t get much better – except maybe when it is really raining and school is almost out for summer.>
Summer rains make you go old school.