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Accepting a Leadership Service Award from Dr. Eugene Bennett, President of Miami University-Middletown |
William Kreeger was the publisher of Star Publications, which published The Western Star in addition to The Star Free Press. He was offering me the job as sports editor of the Free Press, at $4.00 per hour for a total of 30 hours a week. It seemed like a big responsibility, but what did I know?
"Okay."
"It's all just filler anyway," he said. "Nobody reads the sports section. In fact, we don't even care if your subjects and verbs agree, because the average sports reader doesn't know the difference."
Oh really?
I was still a full-time student at Miami-Middletown, soon to start taking some classes at the main campus. And I still intended to play on the MUM golf team again. But when you're only 20, you have all the energy in the world, it seems.
I had no idea how hard this journey would be.
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April 15, 1981 -- Doesn't Everyone Have Two Jobs And Go To School?
Fred Norri was most recently the baseball coach at Middletown H.S. Now he was the director of operations at Shaker Run Golf Club, Armco's new golf course. "We need some help in the pro shop," he said. "Maybe 20 hours a week. Can you help us?"
"Sure."
In addition to some extra money, I got to play Shaker as much as I wanted. It intimidated me. But I got to the point where I routinely shot 79 and 80 from the blue tees, which was as good as it would get for me.
A few months later, I learned a valuable lesson. I was cleaning out some carts so they could be put away downstairs, when I was approached by an older gentleman who wanted to know where the putting green was. I was happy to tell him.
But then he did something that none of the other Armco executives ever did. He talked to me and asked me questions. He wanted to know my future goals and ambitions, and thanked me for all the help I had given him.
As he walked away, a co-worker asked, "Do you know who that guy is?"
"No."
"That's William Verity, the president of Armco."
The lesson I learned was this, if you have to sell someone how important you are -- the way all the other executives did -- then you're obviously not that important. I made a note to remember that lesson for the rest of my life.
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July 11, 1981 -- "Are You Kidding Me?"
First, I asked if there would be a problem. Then, after being assured there would not be one, I signed up to play in the Franklin City Golf Championship, because it was something I did every year.
I had to work at Shaker Run on the morning of the first day of the tournament, so I figured I would not be able to play. But then someone told me that the Billy and Bobby Peters group could not play early Saturday morning because they had to work their route as mail carriers. Since they couldn't play until 4:00, I was told I could get a group to play at 1:30, so I did.
I specifically asked, "Does it have to be 1:30? What about 2:00?"
I was told, "It's no big deal. Whenever you get here."
Okay, so I gathered a group that included Brian Robinson and some other guys in the neighborhood, and we planned to pay at 1:30.
Turns out I got busy at work and couldn't get to the course until 1:45. But I figured that wouldn't be a problem, since I was assured we could play anytime I got there.
Nope. I got there and my playing partners had taken off. The jackass in charge that afternoon said I'd missed my tee time. "You're done. Go home."
Thus began a love-hate relationship I had with Franklin GC.
Adios.
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