Tuesday - Three Beautiful Things

• Back at the Chemo lab today. I saw the woman with the blue mink coat again. "I bought it in Paris." she told me. " I have never seen another like it." I could believe that - before I could stop the words I heard myself asking, " where did you find it?." " Christian Dior." Ah, truly couture.
  

• Everything was quiet in the lab when suddenly all heads turned toward the sound of music - the Pink Panther theme. Only one patient recognized it and knew that it was coming from the inside pocket of his sport coat hanging on a wall-hook. The nurse retrieved it for him. Embarrassed, sheepish even, the elegant white-haired gentleman held up the phone, "thanks to my 14 year-old grand-son."
  Everyone loved the music and the comic moment. Funny is good.

• Taped my TV show this afternoon. My head was so filled with Papa Sam's emerging golf story that I could not focus on the story I had planned to tell. Instead I opted for a stroll on the high wire. I decided to risk telling his story. I sat in front of the camera and told as much as I know of the emerging new story about Papa Sam. As I walked into the story and it unfolded - its about Papa Sam, yes - but more than him - its about finding and
  re-claiming family stories that are lost. It works as a story now - but its gonna be a whole lot better as it grows.
  

I tell you something - when these quests take me over I have a feeling that Koki is pulling my strings. She so wanted the family to know the stories. That was her gift to me and to all of our family.

Photo: Sam Diggle at Charlotte County Club, circa 1945
P.S. Later - I googled Papa Sam -- there was a hit. Now I know where and when he won two of the trophies in his collection that was on display in the glass-front cabinet in my grandparent's dining room.