Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

If my wife and I would have known we would be stuck on a bus for our trip to Eastern Europe on a bus for the length of the Danube River from Bucharest to Budapest, we would have stayed home.

But that’s what experienced – what I now call a “bus cruise,” not a “river cruise.”  We had planned on the latter.

Before we left Salem, Oregon, about 10 days ago, we knew that, on the first day of our trip, we would be relegated – yes, the word is “relegated” – to a bus.  But, then, we thought we would transfer to our ship, one of Viking’s newest river ships, The Uller.

Two reasons for our relegation:

• First, the river was low, almost as low as it has ever been in history as Eastern Europe is grappling with what been described as an “energy crisis, so serious that there is not enough water to cool down nuclear reactors so they can operate normally.

• Second, our ship ran aground the day we were supposed to board, so the plan “ran aground,” too.

So, the challenge was to make a bad situation better – and, with leadership from my tour guide, my wife, we managed to do that.

First, a lowlight.

We had to travel from Bulgaria through checkpoints to get into and out of Serbia.  It was a challenge.  We had to traverse only about 500 yards to get through the checkpoints, but it took five hours to do so.  Yes, five hours!

One reason is that Serbia is not part of the European Union, so border crossings are a huge challenge for us and everyone else.

Second, on to three highlights.

• In Bulgrade, Bulgaria, our small tour group of six was treated to a wine tasting and food in a deep cave.  Our host did a great job of describing each of six wines – and he kept pouring our glasses higher and higher.  No problem, someone else was driving to get back to our hotel.

• In Budapest, Hungary, on the night before we left to head home, we got an Uber ride to a small church where we listened with rapt attention to a strong orchestra which played for us for more than hours.  It was up close and personal.  I was tempted to use my standard golf phrase in response – they “played well.”

• In Bucharest, Romania, early on our trip, we were treated to a lecture by one of citizens who lead a revolt in 1989 that got rid of Communism and turned Romania into basically a Capitalist system where people get to act, think, and speak without fear of reprisal.

Our speaker, now about 40 years old, was one of the leaders of the revolt at age 15, even as he watched some of those who were with him only a few yards away be shot to death by the Communists.  By the photos we saw, the communists even turned tanks on those who revolted, though, in the end, those who revolted won and the communist leader was executed along with his wife.

So, the leader’s message for us was this:  Treasure your liberty because you don’t know long it will last.  Good point.

As I write this, it’s good to back home in America where we currently enjoy liberty.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

If you had told me several weeks ago that my wife and I would be on a bus tour down the Danube from Bucharest to Budapest, I would have opted to stay home.

But that’s what happened.  We went on a “bus cruise.”  Not a “river cruise.”

A day or so before we left our home in Salem, Oregon, we were told by our cruise company, Viking, that water in the Danube was low, which meant our first day would be by bus.  But, then, we would get on the ship.  At least that’s what we thought.

No.

The day we arrived in Bucharest, we were told the entire trip would be by bus.

So, on to the headline on this blog – Making the Best of a Bad Situation.  That’s what we did.

Below is a summary of a couple highlights to illustrate our approach, though, I add, quickly, that the leader of our enterprise to find something good out of something bad is my wife, Nancy, who also is my tour guide on international travel.

Without her, I’d be lost.

First, I cannot help myself, so I’ll cite a bad situation.  It involves the country of Serbia, which is not part of the European Union.  So, when we came to the border to get into or out of Serbia, it took us, on our bus, about five hours to make the transit over what must have been about 500 yards – yes, five hours!

No reason was given for the long delay.  Just a waste of time.

But, on to the highlights.

FIRST HIGHLIGHT:  In Belgrade, on a private tour, our guide took us and two other couples to a cave where we had a feast of wine and food.  Everything was very good.  Not everyone gets to do this and it was an evening to remember.  First, we had to walk down a dark path to get to the station for our wine and food, a path that, without phone flashlights, would have been difficult to navigate.  

The wine – we had at least six tastes – was great.  So was the food paired with the wine.  Lucky we didn’t have to drive back to our hotel.

ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT:  I covered this in a previous blog, but just a note here to say that it was stirring to hear how residents of Bucharest, Romania rose up to get rid of communism about 40 years ago.  Selfish communist rulers had left residents high and dry. 

Literally.  Little food.  Little heat.  Little water. 

In communism, the saying from the government was this:  “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine, too.”

The residents who risked their lives to get rid of the tyrants deserve lasting praise.

AND, A THIRD HIGHLIGHT:  In Budapest, we attended a concert at St. Michael’s Church given by a seven-member string orchestra.  Up close and personal, it was impressive to see the supreme talent by all those who played for an hour before a crowd in a small church.  

I won’t list all the musical selections the orchestra played, but it was clearly a highlight for us as we listened with amazement and appreciation.

So, this bottom-line point:  It is possible to make the best of a bad situation if you set your mind to it.  Again, my wife led this successful effort.

Even as I write this, we are planning our trip home and it will be good to get to the United States and our home in Salem, Oregon.  There, as we learned in the last 10 days in Europe, we need to treasure our freedoms because we there is no guarantee how long they will last, even in America.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

The words fly off the tongue without much meaning many times.

Communism and capitalism.

What do that they mean?

First, here is the dictionary definition of the terms:

• Communism is a political and economic system that aims to build a classless society with no private property, featuring common ownership of the means of production.  Key concepts include public property, economic equality, and the removal of social classes.

• Capitalism is an economic system defined by private ownership, market competition, and the profit motive.  In this system, individuals and private companies own the tools, factories, and resources used to make goods, and they decide prices and investments based on free market demand.

To this, I should add socialism.

• Socialism is an economic and political system featuring public or collective ownership of the means of production, a focus on reducing economic inequality, and the distribution of resources based on human need rather than private profit.

Why do I report these definitions?

Simple.  I saw the definitions up close and personal on our trip to Eastern Europe this week.

On one hand, our guide on a tour in Balgrade, Serbia appeared to long for the days of Josip Broz Tito’s Yugoslavia (1945–1980) who was defined by political independence from the Soviet bloc, workers’ self-management, and a multi-ethnic federal system.

So, it was that she longed for a version of communism that strayed far from the Soviet’s definition of the term.  She liked the fact that, if persons worked, they were given housing and other benefits. But she did not have a good answer for what happened to person who, for some reason, were not able to work.

Here is the way my wife put it in a text to our kids:

“Here in Belgrade, Serbia, we ended up in the most bizarre conversation with our guide who grew up in communist former Yugoslavia and our fellow travelers, two couples from United States. 

“Our guide was totally brainwashed about how good communism was.  For some unknown reason, she brought up (after a lot of wine!) how she could not see how anyone could accept into our families the unknown genetics of adoption.

“You would have been so proud of our fellow travelers, who passionately love their adopted daughter, and of us!

“Under atheist communism, seeing the individual as devoid of responsibility to anyone greater than ones self, why reach out with love for others?  We and our fellow travelers talked about our cherished adoptees and what you mean to us!  

“Our lives would have been so depleted without expanding our love beyond genetics!  

“It was a dramatic contrast for our small group!  Do we live just for us?  Is there something, “Someone” greater than us?  Are we here for greater purposes than our own?  With a fair amount of wine inside me, I told our guide she had bought into a whole lot of crap and missed the whole reason for living!  And I truly mean that!

“How sad our lives would be without you, Drewsie!  And we are so, so glad you are part of our family!  Living to bless others ends up blessing all of us.  Hallelujah!”

Great point!

On another side, I thought of the contrast between what we heard in Serbia and the history of what we saw in Bucharest.  There, real people – including Egmont Pecasu, whom we saw up close and personal – rose up as a group in 1989 to risk their lives to overthrow a Communist regime that lived by this motto:  “What’s mine is mine what’s yours is mine.”

So, I, the state, take it and you suffer.

Residents of Romania, including those in Bucharest, rose up to throw off Communism under gunfire, thus giving themselves food, water. and a place of live, all of which has been taken from them by the communists.

So, with all due respect to our tour guide here in Belgrade, I choose the ability to think, act and decide on my own without the repression of a government that believes it knows best, even if, in the old Yugoslavia, Tito practiced government control with, apparently, a good heart. 

Even as he deal with the West and the East.  Which may be why he was able to last in power for more than 40 years.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

I wrote yesterday that I admired a 15-year-old boy and others who were credited with leading a revolt 40 years ago of the people in Romania who wanted to get rid of communism.

The revolt succeeded in 1989 and Romania is still free today.

My wife and I have been in Romania where we supposed to start a river cruise on the Danube, but that got derailed when the water was too low to allow navigation.  So, we are reduced to a “bus cruise” down to Budapest.

My blog addendum is this – and, for what it’s worth, I feel better providing it:

In my 40 years in politics in Oregon, I never was in favor of protests as a way to achieve a public policy objective.  The better approach, I contended, was to promote the to engagement of all sides to find what I like to call “the smart middle ground.”

Protests only prolonged the time until a solution.

Thus, I had mixed emotions when I chose to applaud the Romanian revolt in 1989

Upon reflection, however, it is stupid to compare protests in the legislative process in Oregon – I was a lobbyist there for about 40 years – to a revolt in Romania to throw out communists.  In the latter, literally lives hung in the balance.

Standing figuratively on my feet, I applaud those who risked their lives to create democracy in Romania – democracy that allows them to think and act for themselves.  In communism, the people were dependent on the “state” and, in the communist rule in Romania, the people were left behind.

In fact, they had little food or heat in the tough winter.  Many of them died because the dictator and his allies took care of themselves, not the people.

So, my applause for those who destroyed communism continues to this day.  

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

If a country was ruled by Communism, who would lead an effort to rid a country of that regime and restore democracy if “the people” wanted a change?

Well, here in Romania, I learned the other day that, among others, it was a 15-year-old youth who now, many years later, still lives in Romania’s largest city, Bucharest, and remembers, as if it was just recently, the overthrow of a hated regime.

This is one of the fascinating facts you learn when, as is true for my wife and me, we were stuck in Bucharest for three days when the water in the Danube River was too low to allow our scheduled trip on the river to proceed.  So, we are reduced to a bus tour instead of a river cruise.

We also found time to find out more about this former communist city.

Plus, more about what I call the “profile in courage.”

A man named Egmont Pușcașu was the protest leader who still lives in Bucharest now many years after the fall of communism where he played a major role.

In 1989, photos show him at the forefront of the protest as he chanted for the fall of a dictator who had left him and others in Romania adrift, without adequate water, food or heat as the regime exported everything with no care for citizens.

In the photo, at 15 years-of-age, Puscasu is dressed entirely in black, standing on top of a vehicle and screaming out to protest against the regime.  Just as he did that, a friend, standing just next to him, was shot and killed.  Hundreds of others died as communist leaders called in tanks and guns.

Puscasu was wounded, but was able to carry on.

As for today, so many years later, Puscasu works for Viking Cruises, the proprietor of our cruise ship – or, should I say, the renter of the buses that now will take us to Budapest in the next few days. 

Puscasu thought about entering politics and did for a few years, driven by his fame, but found out soon, he told me, that politics didn’t suit him and he could do more in private life.

So, the other day, he spoke to us and many others in person, recounting, not only his role, but all of the many other roles that turned Romania toward democracy and away from communism.

He told incredible stories of bravery and tragedy, standing as he spoke only steps from the site where communism met its end in Romania.

Beyond stories, Puscasu appealed to everyone to be thankful for liberty, if, in fact, they live in liberty as citizens of Romania now do. 

He said: 

“Don’t lost sight of the fact that liberty could disappear quickly if you don’t support it.  Communism lost in Romania because its leaders took everything from the people.  Now, in a democracy, we have the right to think, speak, and to advocate.  If you live in a democracy, hold tight to that liberty.”

Motivated by Puscasu’s comments, I went on-line and obtained more information on the revolt in Bucharest almost 40 years ago.  Here is a summary:

The demise of communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu’s regime centered on a fateful public rally on December 21 and the takeover of the Central Committee building a day later.

On December 21, Ceaușescu, fearing for the collapse of his regime, called a mass public assembly of about 100,000 people outside the Central Committee building to condemn the uprising that had begun days earlier in Timișoara.

It was a fateful mistake.  Mid-speech, unexpected boos, whistles, and explosions in the crowd broke the broadcast, shocking Ceaușescu and other leaders as they stood high on a balcony overlooking the square.

Citizens flooded major thoroughfares like Magheru Boulevard and University Square – we saw those this week — facing violent crackdowns by security forces, tanks, and police through the night.

On the morning of December 22, massive crowds that had been under the gun regrouped and overwhelmed the center of Bucharest, forcing the military to stop fighting the people – and even, on occasion, joining the protestors.

Trapped by the surging crowds, Ceaușescu and his wife fled the capital by helicopter from the roof of the Central Committee building, a retreat that marked the practical end of communist rule in Romania.  They were captured a couple days later, stood trial quickly, were found guilty, and summarily executed to illustrate that communism was no longer in charge.

So, to conclude, as my wife and I were ready for a cruise on the river, instead, we were treated to a profile in courage.

*********

And this footnote:  On one hand, it is easy for me to condemn communism, given the traits of such a regime as the one in Romania, especially in Bucharest.  It hammered the Romanian people into submission at the behest of the all-important “state.”

But, as we talked to a waiter in our hotel, he said something interesting.  As a native of Bucharest, he told us that his parents appreciated communism because it “guaranteed” (my word, not his) a way of life for their family.

Two views:  One from the patriot who led an overthrow of communism and another from a citizen who remembers the regime more fondly.

This reminded me of a conversation a number of years ago when we were in Prague.  Our tour guide there said she was glad communism was over in Prague, but her parents missed the “old way” because of the guarantees (there is that word again, mine) that it provided.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

You can tell I have too much time on my hands in retirement if I find time to deal with issues in this blog headline – rakes in bunkers in golf.

But time is not at a premium these days.  I have enough of it.

So:

It turns out that the United States Golf Association (USGA) does not have a formal rule DICTATING where bunker rakes should be placed.

However, it does recommend placing rakes outside the bunker and parallel to the line of play to prevent them from interfering with a rolling ball or leaving bad lies.

Further, during play:

• Moving the Rake:  If your ball rests against a rake, the rake is treated as a movable obstruction.  You can remove it, but if the ball moves, you must replace it on its original spot.
• Testing Conditions: You are allowed to use a rake to smooth footprints, but you can never DELIBERATELY touch the sand to test its condition or improve your lie before your stroke, though raking, in any case, could give you more information on the sand before you hit your shot.
• Etiquette: You may step in and out of the bunker to rake it to care for the course, provided you do not improve the area of your stance or swing.

I add there that if you find the time and want to read an incredibly stupid rule in golf, just read Rule 12.  It deals with bunkers and you will be surprise what you find there in.

Because there is not a universal mandate on rake position in bunkers, local club committees and superintendents decide whether rakes stay inside or outside for daily maintenance and mowing purposes.

At the club where I am a member in Salem, Oregon, Illahe Hills Country Club, there also is not a hard-and-fast rule.  The advice is labeled “tee-boning,” which means that you place the tongs of the rake inside the bunker but leave a few inches of the handle outside the bunker, so a golfer can pick up the rake without placing a foot in the sand.

Plus, this approach does not much interfere with power mowers as they skirt their way around bunkers.

As for the best approach to raking bunkers after play, the USGA advises that it is best to use long, smooth motions, avoid leaving footprints, and use the back of the rake to smooth large holes. 

The proper raking technique:

• Enter and exit on the low side of the bunker for safety and to keep from breaking down steep edges.
• Use long, smooth strokes instead of quick, jerky pulls or dragging the teeth aggressively.
• Use the back of the rake to level out deep footprints, big bumps, or holes before smoothing over the top with the teeth.
• Do not pull sand out of the bunker or leave piles of sand clumped near the grass edges. 

So, aren’t you glad you now all this?

If you don’t like this, my long-held premise has been this:  Place most of the rake inside the bunker, so if your golf ball strikes it and it is kicked outside the bunker, good.  If the rake was outside the bunker and your golf ball hit it ricocheting it into the bunker, bad.

Thus, the advice at Illahe – “tee-boning” – makes good sense.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

I usually am not one who applies personality to inanimate objects, but…

I found myself asking the question in this blog headline as I got up this morning, our next to the last before we head off to Europe on a long-planned river trip on the Danube from Bucharest to Budapest.

Do gardens talk?  Like the one on our deck above Illahe Hills Country Club where I play most of my golf here in Salem, Oregon?  Or the flowers and bushes in our front yard?

Well, I would say they talk to me each morning as I see them shining brightly in the sun.  If I listen.  They speak comfort and beauty.  They speak relaxation.  They speak wonder.

Then, I read a post from the proprietor of Brooks Winery in Amity, Oregon where we are members.  She wrote about the person who tends the gardens at Brooks where, among other things, vegetables are grown that make their way onto the tables for those who eat and drink at Brooks. 

The gardener is Shannon Meyhew, who, in the spirit of Brooks’ environmental commitments, also goes by the title “sustainability director.” 

Here is what she wrote:

“These long summer evenings, with golden hours that stretch late into dusk have been an invitation to visit the gardens of friends.  Each time I walk into these spaces, I leave inspired by planting combinations, trellis styles, and an appreciation for the imperfections of others’ spaces that remind me of my own.

“I love to ask how old plants are, to hear the story of how a particular garden bed was started, and what the space looked like when it began.

“It was during a twilight conversation in a friend’s garden, mosquitos nipping at our necks and that quiet hush which descends during dusk, that we came to the end of the tour. I was left in awe at the 10 years of work, of one gardener in a single space.

“In that silence, she shrugged, saying as if in summary for it all, ‘I can’t make sense of the garden anymore. It had formed into its own thing.’  Another longtime gardener, a friend, whispered back, ‘That’s how it’s supposed to be.  That’s the magic of it.’

“I thought about those words in my own garden this morning.  Walking the paths, I remembered the younger version of myself.  She came into this space with so many ideas, and with them, she shifted a garden around herself.

“Early on, I was determined to remove clashing color patterns.  I kept to the adage that yellows and reds never go together, and that hot pink should be used with restraint.  I diligently followed the rules of respected gardeners who said that single plantings in a garden border were forbidden.

“Instead, I planted in the matrix style that was advocated for by mainstream designers with multiples of plants, only in odd numbers.  With these rules held firmly in my head, I went about sculpting a garden, determined that I knew what was right.

“In the five years I have been in this garden, what was here before me has continued to quietly grow, despite my trying to dictate where and how it grows.  Fireweed consumes much of the garden beds with a ferocity and determination that leaves me stunned and unwilling to pull it.

“Yarrow appears in every corner with a persistence that silences any attempts to quiet it.  Alongside this, the columbine continues to self-seed with zealous indifference to the fact that I have long decided we have quite enough of it, and any more is really just too much.

“In the spaces of the garden that I started from scratch, I can see a shadow of what I intended.  The rose spirea hedge that forms the backdrop to the pond is growing uniformly.  However, unexpectedly, a verbena pops out within it, having seeded itself joyously in the flanks of the plants, perfectly indifferent to the fact that purples and hot pinks do not go together. “Despite the mismatch, it somehow works, so I leave that oddball there for the swallowtail butterfly that loves the blooms. 

“It’s funny how in gardening we think we are steering the ship.  Somehow along the way, the garden begins to take control, and for those humble enough to listen, we simply follow its lead.

“I thought I was creating this garden.  I had a direction and a mind of what it should be.  Instead, I now sheepishly do my best to keep the path walkable and let the garden guide me.

“So often, the plants are telling us something about the spaces where they grow.  The native twinberry that self-seeds shows me the wetter, slower-draining areas.  Clary sage crops up in those areas of soil that are dry and exposed to full sun.  I like to think the yarrow is there to protect the garden, its strong volatile aromas defending the space from pests.

“Looking down at the garden from above, I can’t help but agree that trying to make sense of the space will only confound you.  There is no order, but I think the wildness is what calls certain people to this garden, such wild spaces are so rare in this world.

“We are all told to conform to ways of looking and acting.  Maybe for once we can let that native self-heal takeover a corner.  Perhaps it will inspire us to let our own hair down, to stop looking for perfection in ourselves and our orderly lives.  

“Instead of shaping the garden, what if we let it shape us? What if we released ourselves to the wildest parts of our souls, those corners of ourselves we have long weeded and mowed into a form that society finds acceptable?  Maybe we can all learn something from fireweed.

“With Love from The Garden,

“Shannon.”

Good words from Shannon.  She has better ones than I have as I look out at our garden on our deck.  Or look in our front yard as bumble bees do their pollinating work on our plants.

So, I am trying to let the garden speak to me in the silence and glow of this and other mornings.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

The stories I mention in this blog headline came with these headlines:

• Experts deliver options to plug $421 million gap in Medicaid funding

• Oregon Health Authority director resigns

As for my memories:  I represented major health care organizations as a lobbyist at the State Capitol in Oregon for about 25 years and these stories, published in July 2026, could have occurred many times in previous years.

Because, health care is a controversial topic anywhere, including in Oregon.

It’s tough to provide enough money to fund growing low-income health care needs, plus it is tough to keep leaders at the top of a health care management pyramid.

Before a few further comments from me, here is more information on both stories:

Million Medicaid Gap:  In a presentation to the Oregon Health Policy Board , the Governor’s Advisory Group on Medicaid Sustainability reviewed a report with 40 options to find savings in the Oregon Health Plan to close a $421 million gap in the 2027-29 budget cycle.

Key recommendations are to find administrative efficiencies before cutting benefits, maintain dental coverage instead of cutting it, and reduce covered services based on clinical evidence.

Governor Tina Kotek tasked the group, led by former Oregon Health Authority leader Bruce Goldberg and the Governor’s health policy advisor Kristina Narayan, with finding ways to keep Oregonians insured and maintain meaningful benefits despite major cuts from the federal government.  HR 1, the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, will result in an estimated $9.4 billion loss in federal Medicaid funds by 2031.  Kotek will make final proposals for Medicaid savings in her Recommended Budget, due to the Legislature on December 1.

Oregon Health Authority Director Resigns:  Early this month, Kotek accepted the resignation of Oregon Health Authority Director Dr. Sejal Hathi.  She then appointed former director of the State Department of Human Resources, Fariborz Pakseresht, to serve as Interim Director, effective July 6.

Back to my thoughts.

First, I fought for years for more money for Medicaid, the program that tries to meet the needs of low-income citizens, including in Oregon.

But Medicaid competes for funding against such stalwarts as K-12 education and public safety.  So, it always a battle and, of course, it’s made worse these days because Donald Trump wants to cut all programs other than those from which he benefits.

As for the Oregon Health Authority director, she came to Oregon a couple years ago with high marks from her tenure in health programs in Washington, D.C.  But she didn’t last long.

In a bit of twist, the guy who is helping Governor Kotek find ways to cut Medicaid (the first story) is Dr. Bruce Goldberg, a former Health Authority director himself.  So he illustrates that former directors can find a new professional life.

Enough from my past health care past.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

Those who know me know that I like words better than numbers, charts, graphs and even, most of the time, photos.

So I could have opened one of five departments I manage – the Department of Words Matter.  Instead, I just post this.

The following paragraph comes from a column by Frank Bruni, who writes for the New York Times and teaches at Duke University.

In each weekly column, he appends submissions from readers about good words they have read in columns other than his own.

Here is one that appeared this morning:

“In Defector, David Roth nailed the president’s style of, um, oratory:  ‘Things come out of Donald Trump’s mouth, then just keep on coming out of it.  And Trump has wed incontinent words to incoherent actions.  The sum of the wreckage this has made is staggering; fixing it will take a long time or not happen at all.  This is just one of those things you have to walk around knowing.”

This was submitted by a reader from New Jersey and it captures very well the tendency by president Donald Trump to allow words to spew out of his mouth, even if they make no sense.  He just speaks without thinking.

Perspective from the 19^th Hole 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.

I have labeled Mark, who wrote the book of Mark in the Bible, as a journalist because that’s what he did.

He interviewed the Apostle Peter and others, then wrote down what he heard.

So, he was a “journalist.”  One of the early ones.

And, this label appeals to me because, when I started professional life, I was a journalist, too.  Surely, not as good a one as Mark, but I still loved writing back then, as well as now in retirement.

So, I give Mark his due.

His book in the Bible was written from this perspective:

“Mark’s Gospel was aimed largely at a Gentile (non-Jewish) audience in Rome.  Its purpose is to portray Jesus as the powerful but suffering Son of God, emphasizing His actions and servant-like ministry.”

Without having been on-site for much of Jesus’ life on earth, Mark still develops a sound chronicle of His life and ministry before his death.

Worth reading!