I have been very fortunate in life to be inspired by so many wonderful people, for that, I will be eternally grateful.
Two people have especially changed the course of my life forever.
One is my best friend.
The other I have never met.
To say I never met her would be a little incorrect as we did see each other one time, in passing, but to say I "knew" her would be an untruth.
The first person, my best friend Ed, has always been an unrecognized inspiration to me.
He is the one I pick up the phone to call when news is the absolute worst, or the absolute best.
No matter what, he is always there and always makes time for me.
Although I'm certain that this was never said in words, I always hoped it was understood.
He is a true friend, a rare find and someone worth knowing.
The second person, Pat, as I mentioned I never really got to know.
She was also someone special, someone worth knowing and someone whose energy surpassed the vessel it came to know.
It is this someone special that this story is mainly about.
This woman, this person I never got to know, had such a force that she changed my life forever, without ever saying a word to me.
Without a motion or a sound, she shaped the lives of an uncounted, unknown group.
She couldn't you see, say a word, move a muscle, or make a sound.
This woman, this powerful force, suffered from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease.
) Her words and movement had been taken from her many years before I met her, but still I heard her and still I felt her.
Everyone that came in contact with her did.
For that reason, my best friend and I set up a golf tournament in her name to raise money for ALS.
With the slogan, Never, never, never give up and the tournament name "Scramble to Beat ALS" we were proud to raise money and to educate people about both Pat, and the dreadful disease of ALS.
Each year we hold this tournament and each year, rain or shine, people play.
Play.
In this day and age, people of all ages, races and financial backgrounds, get together, gather their clubs, spikes and carts and play.
They laugh, and act silly and swing clubs, regardless of talent, and let their inner child out.
Each year people we had previously never met have donated merchandise for the raffle, golf, volunteer, learn and mostly importantly, play! They take time out from their busy lives to learn about someone they never met.
They learn about a disease perhaps previously unknown to them, they learn of a woman who holds the tournaments name, and they learn to give of themselves, to give to others, to give generously and to give themselves a break, a moment.
A time when they can hit a ball, play with friends, tell jokes, and be young again.
For this brief moment, these brief hours, because they play for this unsung hero, they play like there is no tomorrow.
As each par is made or not made, it's difficult to not look to the sky for a reason, a laugh or even a clear view of tomorrow, whatever it may hold.
They, like me, learn all these powerful life lessons from a woman they never met.
What a force she was to impact hundreds of people she never met, without a word, without a sound, and without a movement.
Pat Mutti was truly a force to be reckoned with, and still is.
Her story of ALS is one that shows hope and promise and most of all inspiration.
In a world so lacking heroes and morals, it's easy to dismiss nearly everyone.
Pat will never be dismissed.
Her golf tournaments bring together golfers and non golfers to share in something her son, Ed loves.
On days that have in the past, brought torrential rains and very few sunny days, people that may have not previously known each other enjoy the day.
They are able to get together, laugh, talk, play golf and most importantly have fun.
They do this because of something they believe in.
Some have never heard of ALS, most had never heard of Pat Mutti, but all want to believe in helping someone in need.
At the core of all of us is the desire to do something good.
If we can do that and play golf the day is a hole-in-one! (Even for those non golfers!) Just before the first official "Scramble to Beat ALS" Pat Mutti left this earth as quietly and peacefully as she lived here.
With spring in the air, flowers in bloom and birds chirping, she closed her eyes and softly went to a place where she was not bound by a lack of movement or communication.
Perhaps she went somewhere to get a better view of the back nine, or her son getting married, or her husband out on his pontoon boat on a clear, sunny day.
Until we see her again, we'll probably never know.
But of this we can be sure..
..
because of this woman I never really met, people's lives have changed.
Strangers, for no reason they can understand, do good things, give to charity, and play 18 holes, rain or shine for a cause.
Although her words they do not hear, her message is clear.
Play.
Learn.
Listen.
Visualize.
Imagine how the world would look if we gave that mantra a voice.
If we all play a little more, learn from each other, listen with both ears, and dream with our face to the sun, the tournament cannot fail.
We cannot fail.
Now, close your eyes and see what Pat sees..
...
from the back nine..
..
Until then we play again..
..