"Monuments are the grappling-irons that bind one generation to another." –Joseph Joubert, a French essayist who lived from 1754-1824
When I was little, my Dad opened two bars. One was called Everybody's Talkin' and the other was called Gentlemen's Game. Some afternoons he would take me to the Gentlemen's Game before it opened and he'd let me go behind the counter and grab a Snickers and a Pepsi to consume while he did paperwork in his office.
If I remember correctly, the logo he came up with for the sign had two golf clubs that crossed with a golf ball perched in the middle. He loved to play golf and since the sport is often called a "gentlemen's game," I suspect that he named his bar as such. I was too young to remember much else about the place. It was just a place that I hung out with my Dad, and consequently, it'll always have a special place in my heart.
I'm the type of person who loves subtle remembrances of days gone by. I own many songs on CD that tie my yesterdays to today. I've kept nearly every letter I've ever received—most of which I have filed. I have little knick-knacks scattered throughout my house from loved ones who have preceded me in death—one of which sits on my office desk. It's a group of three small bonded leather Bible promise books that my Dad gave to my Grandma on May 13, 1990 (Mother's Day).
A few years ago, I needed to come up with a league name for the fantasy baseball league I was running online. I thought of a bunch of lame names to begin with, but then it hit me—call it "Gentlemen's Game." I knew nobody would ever know the meaning behind it but me, but I didn't care. I liked looking at my lineup every day and seeing the name of the league. In a way, it became one of the "grappling irons" (or hooks) that Joubert spoke about that binds one generation to the next.
Every year since then, I've added another hook by calling the league, "Gentlemen's Game."
