A Great Lunch on a Beautiful Day

I had a rare opportunity today to sit down and eat lunch with one of my heroes.

No, it wasn't Bill Heavey, and it wasn't Sonny Jurgensen or George Pelecanos.  Dining with any of those guys would have been a thrill, but I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it any more than sitting in the shade with my Uncle Tom and eating a turkey sandwich on the tailgate of his work truck.

I had called Tom earlier in the day with a business question.  We talked for awhile and decided to meet at a local fast food joint for lunch.  Only when we got there and realized we'd both packed our lunches, we changed our minds and instead ate in the parking lot, enjoying the beautiful weather and a few moments of catching up.

Tom and I both work in Leesburg, and he doesn't live far away.  But like so many important people in my life, I see him only a few times a year, and we often go months without speaking.  When we do speak, the time we have is easily filled with talking about kids, work and, of course, hunting.  I've never really had a chance to tell Tom what a positive influence he has been in my life.

I look up to Tom for a number of reasons, among them his work ethic, his integrity and his ability to overcome great obstacles. I admire the life he has built for his family and the unbelievable success he and my aunt have had at raising wonderful kids.  Tom is also a hero to me because of the times he showed up at my house at 7 a.m. to take me fishing as a kid and because he didn't give up on me as a hunter after I botched my first opportunity to become one at the age of 20.

Maybe Tom and I will get together more often; we talked about putting together a squirrel hunt in the near future.  Or perhaps we won't see each other again until our annual late season deer hunts.  But either way, he is one of my heroes and is one of a few mentors who is always with me when I go into the woods, even when it is by myself.

Comments

[U Tom]

Matt, Tom called me and told me to get on your site. I did and...WOW! To say that I also enjoyed our lunch is a given. Your blog floored me. THANK YOU!
For the record, you've turned into a remarkable man in every way and I am very proud of you. You also have an exceptional family and you and Kim are doing a great job. Keep up the good work!
I'll see what I can do about the squirrel hunt. Thank you again for the blog.
Ilove you "kid".
Tom

[Arthur]

What a great blog about your mentor. I think it definitely meant a lot to him.

What a great post.

[Blessed]

I think there are a few people I need to get in touch with too...

Great post

[jcedits]

Kudos to Sassy and "the Italian prince," who did so much to make Tom the wonderful husband, father, and man he has become. You're a cool dude, baby brother.