On September 9, 2007, there was a fire at Highland Park Golf Course, in Auburn, New York. I have been a member of this course for about 15 years now. Of course, it was a shock when I first heard of the fire, but I think that was disbelief that a fire could get out of hand when it was a busy golf day and people were around who could call 911 in a timely manner. Unfortunately there were some issues, like problems getting water out of the fire hydrant, that increased the chances of this fire getting way out of control. Many people stood there in disbelief and were crying. The initial shock of the memories one had there, is upsetting. But then one realizes that it is only a building and the memories one had were of the people; the many friends one meets throughout the years as a member. Then you can put this event into perspective of what it really is. The building was just a "thing" of insignificance compared to the friendships and memories with those we met. So one realizes it is time to move ahead and plan for the future, especially when we know we can not change the past! We were very lucky to have a Board of Directors who did just that. They came to the fire, cried and then met that night to plan for the future.
During this time of transition, many other people in the community have offered Highland their services, such as dining facilities or campers used as temporary a Pro Shop. The Highland members have pulled together to help keep their club up and running in anyway they could.
So we move on planning the future and making more memories, but they will be in a new building. No one can take the old memories away from us. So, there is no need for sadness, it only keeps us from working our best to plan the future.
