"Luck of the Scottish" - Cup O' Joe, 15th Edition

Stathern Road in Dundee, Scotland is your typical, everyday road. Well, yes, as Americans, you would have to qualify that since those in the UK drive on the "wrong side of the street", Stathern Road wouldn't be typical. But putting UK vs. US road rules aside, you would have to say it was typical. No biggie, ho-hum.

And, last Tuesday, July 27, my friends and I were thinking the same thing, until about 10am. You see, my lads and I ( since being in Scotland for more than one week, I've grown to love the Scots - their accents and quick-witted phrases, love for golf, and yes, even haggis if it's done the right way) were on our way to Carnoustie Golf Links, one of the most feared and treacherous golf courses known to golfers. If you don't agree, ask Jean Van De Velde what he things about Carnoustie ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dR1pkCGY80). So far, we've had a brilliant first few days in Scotland - weather was incredible, locals were very friendly and accommodating, golf was challenging yet fun, and we just found out the day before that we were picked via lottery to play the St. Andrews Old Course on Wednesday - a bonus for us since we were planing on just playing 3 St. Andrews courses (Jubilee, New and Castle) due to the golf package we chose. We were on a golf high, charging through Dundee in a mini-van to slay the dragon known as Carnoustie.

But, before I go any further, it might be a good idea to give you all a bit of background on why we were in Scotland in the first place.

As some of you might know, a very long time ago I went to UCLA and was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. Through my Sig Ep brotherhood I not only met my wife, Emily, but also met a dozen or so friends that I call "FHB's (fox hole buddies)" - when I am in a jam, I can call any of these guys and they would come to support me and my family; without questions or conditions.

26 years ago, at the wedding of one of my FHB's (Ted, the tall one 2nd from the left), another FHB (Chris, the short one 3rd from the left next to me, who makes me feel tall) came up with the idea that 4 of us - Ted, Chris, Will and I - would need to hold an annual golf trip to ensure we stayed in touch and continued to build on our friendship over the years. We agreed to do our best to not allow marriages (we are, of course, very fortunate to STILL be married to wonderful, understanding wives), kids, work, money or any of the other usual stresses or constraints that hinder or block such trips to not get in the way of ours.

That same night, we all agreed that our 25th trip would be to the Home of Golf, St. Andrews, Scotland. At that time and now, we were and are average golfers at best; but the trip wasn't about golf. It was truly about friendship, and what comes with it - helping each other with business ideas, helping analyze potential new jobs or careers, how to be better fathers and husbands, etc. We were each other's advisory board, and Viajante (what we named the trip, with translates to "traveler"/ "voyager") was our annual meeting.

And travel we did - not to just the venues across the US, like Pinehurst/ North Carolina, Bandon Dunes/ Oregon Coast, and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail/ Alabama. Every year, each of us getting to the venues wasn't any small feat - Ted lives in Nor Cal, Will in Minnesota (but was in NY), I live in Idaho and Chris lives Singapore (yes, Singapore) and used to live in Hong Kong (yes, Hong Kong).  Despite the distance, the births of our children ( combined, we have 10) and their activities, we managed to keep our trips going every year for 24 years straight.

Now, back to Stathern Road last Tuesday, July 27, 10AM. We missed a turn, our GPS took us to a road that has a history of other recent accidents, and this was the result:

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/dundee/945706/video-update-several-injured-one-seriously-after-horror-dundee-crash-involving-people-carrier-and-double-decker-bus/

Amazing, isn't it? How things can go from incredible to awful in a matter of seconds - one wrong turn, .2 of a mile, and BANG! Chris and I were very fortunate - he walked away with minor bruises and cuts, me with the same plus 3 broken ribs. Unfortunately, the other 2 didn't come out as lucky - they're still at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee getting great medical attention to help them towards recovery. All in - I can say, with confidence, that if a few very minor variables took place at this time, I should not be writing this article right now. Odds are that I should have "bought the farm". "Kicked the Can". Or, with the help of chopping up a common Scottish saying, become a '..long time deid".

As my FHB Chris puts it - there is a reason why the phrase "hit by a bus" is used by financial consultants and business folks as a metaphor to remind people to plan for the unexpected; simply put, not many, if any, come away from being hit by a bus to talk (or write) about it. Added to this, we were hit by a double-decker bus - talk about 18 tons of perspective hitting me all at once.

So, writing this edition of the Cup O' Joe is the start of my recovery process. I've needed an inspiration to re-start my Cup O' Joe musings - what can be better reason than dodging the grim reaper? So, for those few that have asked "when will I write my next Cup O' Joe - here you go. Hoping that I can continue to write more of my Cup O' Joe articles - thanks to you all for reading and caring about what goes through my head and comes out on electronic pages.

Lastly, if you feel that it might be a bit soon since the crash for me to post an article, I get it. I haven't yet fully processed the meaning behind the outcome ( really, I might not ever fully process the meaning), but hopefully the following thoughts below will help you appreciate my need to write this article now:

• If you are lucky enough to have friends like I do, hang onto them with all you got. Don't assume that they'll always be there, because life throws a lot of buses at us. Spend time with them, continue to find out what makes them tick, through ALL of the phases of life. Help them overcome challenges, and be there to help them celebrate their triumphs. Other than family and kids ( and sometimes, more so than family and kids), life is a heck of a lot more fun with FHB's around you.
• Contact your Financial Advisor/ Life Insurance Agent and attorney, and update your will and life insurance policy. 'Nuff said.
• Although my 3 Viajante brothers and and I are still dealing with the aftermath of this horrific accident, believe it or not, we are now talking about Viajante 26 - where to hold it, what time of year, etc. One cool idea is to hold it September 2020 in Wisconsin during the Ryder Cup. If we're not in the condition to play golf, we'll be together watching a cool, fun golf event. Because, again, it ain't about the golf.

Why so soon after this brush with death accident, you might ask, are we planning for next year? Well, we all need something to keep us going, especially during the difficult times. For me, envisioning the time I will spend with my beautiful wife, 4 amazing kids, FHB's and Viajante brothers is what will get me up every morning, without fail. Because, using the full Scottish phrase, in the appropriate context this time - "You're a long time deid". Which, translated to my English, means this - "While you're alive, enjoy it. Spend time with the people you love, laugh, cry, and make memories. Because when you die, you'll be dead for a long time".