With my last caddie assignment sans carrying the golf bag, I've been thinking about my role as caddie a little more metaphorically these days. If I'm not carrying the bag and easing Luke's burden while playing the game, am I really performing the job of caddie. What is the job of caddie, accidental or planned?
There's a tv commercial which runs a lot on golf telecasts where a business person is guided throughout his business day by a guy dressed up as a caddie, handing him binders and reports, nodding to him whether he should schedule an appointment with a client, even advising him when getting a haircut. It's funny. But I guess I'm that kind of caddie too with Luke. Golf was just the extension to a specific endeavor. Meanwhile, I've been the metaphorical caddie all along.
I carried (or tried) to carry the emotional and structural weight of life for Luke early on until he was strong enough to carry it alone. I used my life experience to "read the greens" for him, pointing out slopes and contours he might not have seen. I've suggested the "right clubs", the best tools...patience, hard work, balance... to handle different situations as they arise. I've been by his side through the triumphs and failures in his life, providing a shoulder to lean on, tough love when necessary, and a way forward. And all the while, I'm just the caddie. Luke has to make his own swings. He has to play the game itself alone. I'm an accidental parent as much as an accidental caddie. Neither job pays very well, but I wouldn't trade either one for anything.
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