In my garden, in a place of honor, sits a black bowling ball. It is not shiny like the ones in the bowling alleys but weathered and drab looking. That bowling ball was a big piece of my life when I was growing up. It was my dad’s bowling ball and it had his initials on it, IGB. Surprisingly those initials never faded and still stand out. When he died I took that ball as my own, but I never took those initials off the ball. I couldn’t. It was still dad’s.
My dad was a natural athlete. He was a lefty who started bowling in 1955. Within 2 years he had bowled two 300 games and had several 700 series rounds. For those who have bowled you realize the significance of those numbers. This from a man who bowled once a week and sometimes would go bowling with the family.
The reason that ball is so significant to me is because number one it makes me think of dad whenever I look at it and secondly it reminds me of the values and lessons he taught me in the short time I had him in my life. I was 17 when he died. He still had much to teach me. Yet in my daily life if a crisis or sticky situations arises I always think WWDD. WHAT WOULD DAD DO?
Dad was a Marine who proudly served in World War II. As you might expect, those Marine values set the tone for his life. Thankfully, I did pick up some of those values about duty, honor, country and love of my fellow man. I learned from dad that the harder you work the more successful you become. He also told me that to have a happy life treat people the way you want to be treated. Simple right? I don’t understand why people make it so difficult today.
But above all, and the thing that has shaped my life, is what he told me on his deathbed.
“Mike when you get up in the morning look in the bathroom mirror and ask yourself if you will do good today.” I hope I do and I hope dad is looking down from heaven smiling and telling everyone, “That is my son.”
