This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

It’s Monday morning and rain appears to be in the forecast, at least for today.

But, if that occurs, it will not take away from what for me was a great weekend.  On two different counts.

COUNT ONE/

My wife, Nancy, and I went to church as usual Sunday morning at Salem Alliance here in Salem, Oregon.

What did we find?

An emphasis on doing right by refugees in the Salem area!

We loved the expression of unity.  There were about 25 refugees or former refugees on the platform leading all of us worship.  Most of them came from African countries, dressed as they were in colorful native clothing and singing in full-throated fashion.

They did so in English, Farsi, Arabic, Spanish and French, thus illustrating that God is the GOD OF ALL.

The singers were both old and young, moving to the music and helping all of us in the congregation express our love and thanks to God.  As some of them led us in audible prayer, I looked up a couple times and saw young children in the group choosing to bow on stage during the prayers.

The group was led by a couple who formed Salem for Refugees, Doug and Anya Holcomb.  The mission is housed as part of Salem Alliance, and helps all of us learn to treat refugees with dignity and respect.

As a person who has been involved in politics for years, besides being where I belonged on a Sunday, in church, it struck me that what I was seeing  should be seen by everyone in this country, especially those concerned that immigration will soil our history, which should be about “us,” and not others.

Just the reverse.  Immigrants and refugees will make America a better place if we help them make the adjustment to this country.  And, even as we work on political agreements to improve immigration policy, we should recognize the immigrants as real people.

And, as, at least potentially, children of God.

Anya Holcomb also delivered a message based on this summary:  We should SEE (really see) refugees as people worth of dignity and respect just as God SEES us as his children.  Great words!

COUNT TWO/

In many ways, this count pales in comparison to the above, but I had loads of fun Sunday watching former University of Oregon player, Wyndham Clark, win for the first time on the PGA Tour.

To do so, he conquered past mental demeans which compromised his ability to win sooner.

And, he won while giving loads of credit to his late mother who died about 10 years ago after a battle with breast cancer. 

As he relished his victory, Clark looked upward as he said his mother was looking down on him proudly.

Clark also benefitted from the work of his caddy, John Ellis.  He, too, played for the University of Oregon, then served as an assistant coach there when Clark came to the University.  When Clark graduated, Ellis went along as his caddy.

The two appear to have a great relationship.

Great stuff!