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.

When I think of Memorial Day, tomorrow, several thoughts track through my brain.

A couple of them:

• As we put up our American flag on our deck, I thought how unconscionable it is that, in some quarters, the flag – our flag – has been commandeered by Trumpians to stand for the worst president in U.S. history, Donald Trump. 

Now, he wants to be president again.  Perish the thought!

I was careful to tell several of my friends that, if they saw our flag, it stood for America, not Trump.  They knew, but it was important for me to make the distinction.

• My thoughts often go to my father who served the country with distinction in the military during the World War II.

I wish I would have spent more time with him understanding the full scope of his military service.  I only know just a bit.

But, the point on Memorial Day is that I want to honor his service.  The best way for me to do so would be to take a trip to Sunriver in Central Oregon and visit the bridge over the Deschutes River where he loved to fish.

Better that, I say, than visiting his graveside in the National Cemetery in Portland, with all due respect to that national treasure.

So, to all my friends who served in the military, thank you for your service!