We have all heard stories about the frustrated golfer who threw his entire golf bag into the pond after a particular frustrating round of golf.  Every golf club in America has one member who swears that they either saw it happen or know someone who saw it first hand.

I had a friend who did that last week.  Only he didn't do it with his golf clubs, he threw his life into the pond.  On July 28, 2008 my friend Ron Syers took his own life.  He left a wife, three children and literally hundreds of friends.  Each and every one of them were bewildered, asking themselves why, when the only person who could answer t hat question was beyond our reach.

At his funeral, they opened the microphone for testimonies abot Ron's life.  I could not have told about Ron then.  I could not have kept it together long enough to tell about this man.

I met Ron Syers at Parks Motors when I started selling cars.  He started about two weeks after I did and had quite a bit of experience already.  Even though he was 18 years younger than I, Ron became my mentor.  For over two years we went to the Flint Hills Bar and Grill on Monday nights.  During football season we watched football.  During other seasons we watched whatever was on.  But mainly, what we did was talk about our profession.  Ron taught me how to sell cars and I became fairly good at it.  When we first started our Monday meetings, I was very frustrated.  Only Ron's time and advice kept me at the job and helped me get better.  And although I got good at what I did, I never surpassed the master.

The success I had there, the opportunity to get retired early, and the chance I have to teach golfers of all levels how to play better are because of the friendship of Ron Syers.

Fortunately, a couple of years later, when the guys at Parks all got into golfing, I was able to repay Ron.  He was my second student.  I taught my daughter how to play and then in the years I worked with Ron, I taught him how to play.  Being the natural athlete he was he caught on quickly and soon surpassed the master.   

One of the most entertaining rounds of golf Ron and I played, probably about the last one we played together where it was just the two of us, took place at the Willowbend Country Club in Wichita, Kansas.  Parks had sponsored a hole or done something at the Wichita Open and were given coupons for four rounds at the club.  Ron invited me to play with him. 

We played just a couple of days after the Open and some of the signs and markers were still up.  On one hole there was a marker that said longest drive.  When we got to Ron's ball, it was at least thirty yards past that sign.  Ron, being a great competitor, was elated.  He was so excited about outdriving the professionals that I could not bear to tell him that their tee box was at least fifty yards further back than ours had been.  On his next shot, the ball he was playing split in half and went two different directions.  Then we split a gut laughing after he found one half and I found the other half on opposite sides of the fairway.

Ron Syers was the kind of man every man wants to be...kind, generous, hard working, sympathetic, good looking, intelligent, charming, athletic, a good father and a good friend.  At his funeral there were about a hundred family members present and at least three or four hundred friends.  If there is a message in Ron's life, it is this...   Trials and burdens are temporary.  The frustrations and stresses of life only last a little while.  We should know that there are people who care about us and to whom we can turn when the burdens and trials of life seem too heavy.  We should not fear to turn to them.