February 24, 2021 | BY PETE McDANIEL
I have been on a rollercoaster of emotions the past 24 hours. I found little solace in the wee hours as sleep eluded me, except for the occasional nod interrupted by rewinds on the TV of the cause of my insomnia: a horrible car crash on, from all accounts, a dangerous highway near Los Angeles that threatened the life of my dear friend Tiger Woods.
And to think that the day had begun with so much promise.
After weeks of attempting to schedule an initial covid vaccination, I had finally secured one for yesterday. I arrived at the campground in Stockbridge (GA) promptly at 10 a.m. Thirty minutes later I was headed back home with a bandage on my left shoulder. It had been a painless experience and surprisingly expedient.
A half hour later I was lounging in a lawn chair enjoying the warm sunshine as my puppy frolicked in the backyard and delightedly chewed on sticks and leaves. That’s when the phone rang and the voice instructed me to “turn to CNN right now!’’
I stood before the TV in stunned silence as the talking head reported on the accident. Like most people, I was horrified by the wreckage and afraid that it was the scene of a tragedy. And I prayed.
My cellphone kept signaling an incoming call; one after the other. Friends, family, TV producers, everyone wanted to know what I knew about the wreck. Of course, I only knew what was being reported.
All I could think of was how so many of our heroes had died tragically. My maternal grandfather died in a car wreck. I feared for Tiger’s life. I was nauseated as I paced back and forth.
Should I call Tiger’s mom? She’s probably on a flight to LA. Can I take the worst news? How are Tiger’s children handling it? Is it as bad as it appears?
I was scared. I was angry at some of the speculation. I wanted to curse the so-called experts for their hypocritical comments wishing Tiger well and a speedy recovery. Their sympathy might have been sincere but it sure rang hollow to me in light of how they crucified him when he was at his lowest a decade ago. Some had shoveled dirt on his career. At least they weren’t that insensitive with his life during the early hours of uncertainty.
I decided to take a chance and call Tiger’s mom. Tida was happy to hear from me and thanked me for my prayers and those of my friends. The details that she shared with me calmed my nerves and eased my fears. The injuries were not life-threatening. Thank God. He would survive and be able to hold his loved ones in his arms again.
Nothing else matters.
ABOUT PETE McDANIEL
Pete McDaniel is a veteran golf writer and best-selling author. His blogs and books are available at petemcdaniel.com and on Facebook
Comments on this topic may be emailed directly to Pete at: gdmcd@aol.com
