Ed Gavagan: Golf Clubbing

Summary

Summary of "Ed Gavigan: Golf Clubbing" from The Moth Podcast

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Podcast Details:

• Title: The Moth
• Host: Dan Kennedy
• Episode: Ed Gavigan: Golf Clubbing
• Release Date: January 25, 2010

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Introduction to the Story

In the episode "Golf Clubbing," storyteller Ed Gavigan recounts a life-altering incident from his childhood that left physical and emotional scars. Recorded live at a Moth Story Slam in New York City, the narrative unfolds under the theme of "Scars," offering listeners a raw and heartfelt glimpse into Ed's early experiences and the profound impact of familial bonds during crises.

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The Accident

Ed begins by detailing the unfortunate event that led to his first significant scars. At six years old, he attempted to teach his neighbor how to golf using his father's clubs. His enthusiasm was palpable as he instructed his young friend:

"I was just all gung ho to be a little teacher…" ([02:09])

However, the lesson took a disastrous turn when his friend mishit the nine iron, resulting in a severe injury to Ed's scalp. He describes the moment with vivid imagery:

"The nine iron took a chunk out of the back Right quarter of my scalp peeled about a palm sized flap of skin and hair…" ([02:09])

The gravity of the injury was immediate, leaving Ed bewildered and bleeding profusely.

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Immediate Aftermath

As Ed grappled with the sudden trauma, his mother's frantic reaction underscores the chaos of the situation. He recalls her distress:

"She just made this dying pigeon noise…" ([02:09])

In a swift response, Ed's mother took charge, ensuring the safety of his younger siblings by calling a neighbor and simultaneously reaching out to his father. The urgency is evident as she rushes Ed to the emergency room:

"She threw me in the convertible and off we flew." ([02:09])

The scene paints a picture of a mother’s desperate attempts to manage an unforeseen emergency while safeguarding her children.

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Emergency Room Experience

Arriving at the emergency room at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, the environment was tense. Ed introduces his father, a drill sergeant known for his stern demeanor:

"My dad was a badass… rolled up sleeves, the tan uniform, the Smokey the Bear hat." ([02:09])

Despite his intimidating exterior, the situation required his father's immediate attention. Ed narrates the interaction with the attending doctor and his father's initial response:

"Are you okay? … Yeah, dad worry." ([02:09])

Ed's attempt to reassure his father highlights his attempt to mask his own fear and project calmness in a moment of crisis.

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Father’s Injury and Resolution

Tragedy compounded when Ed's father suffered a head injury during the chaos, resulting in a discolored eye socket and additional scars. Ed describes the surreal moment:

"I'm helping my dad, who is completely unconscious in a giant pool of blood." ([02:09])

Despite his young age, Ed found himself playing a pivotal role in assisting both himself and his incapacitated father. The narrative captures the intensity of the medical procedures that followed, including the stitching of both his and his father's wounds.

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Final Moments and Reflection

As the situation stabilized, Ed recalls the poignant final moments of the ordeal. Pushing his unconscious father in a wheelchair to meet his mother, Ed reflects on the family's resilience:

"I'll never forget the look on my mother's face. Just thank God she was sitting down when she fainted." ([02:09])

This concluding part of the story emphasizes the strength and vulnerability within family dynamics during emergencies.

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Notable Quotes:

• "I was just all gung ho to be a little teacher…" — Ed Gavigan ([02:09])
• "The nine iron took a chunk out of the back Right quarter of my scalp peeled about a palm sized flap of skin and hair…" — Ed Gavigan ([02:09])
• "My dad was a badass… rolled up sleeves, the tan uniform, the Smokey the Bear hat." — Ed Gavigan ([02:09])
• "Are you okay? … Yeah, dad worry." — Ed Gavigan ([02:09])
• "I'll never forget the look on my mother's face. Just thank God she was sitting down when she fainted." — Ed Gavigan ([02:09])

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Conclusion

Ed Gavigan's "Golf Clubbing" is a compelling narrative that intertwines childhood innocence with the harsh realities of unexpected trauma. Through his storytelling, Ed highlights themes of resilience, family responsibility, and the enduring impact of early-life experiences. This episode serves as a testament to the human spirit's capacity to navigate and overcome unforeseen challenges, leaving listeners both moved and reflective.

Transcript

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[Dan Kennedy]

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy and the Moth features true stories told live without notes. All stories from the podcast are taken from our ongoing storytelling series in New York, Los Angeles and from our tour shows across the country. Visit themoth.org the story you're about to hear by Ed Gavigan was recorded live at a Moth Story Slam in New York City. The theme of the night was Scars. Now, hundreds of you responded after we podcasted two stories from Ed about him being stabbed and basically left for dead on the streets of New York. So for his third appearance on our podcast, we're bringing you something lighter from one of the Moth's most beloved storytellers.

[Ed Gavigan]

I remember the first scar I ever got was actually two scars and I was about six years old teaching my little buddy next door how to golf. And I'd taken my dad's bag of golf clubs and dragged it out in the yard and just wanted to show my little buddy how to hit the ball. So I stood behind him and I had him choke up on the nine iron and was telling him, you know, put the tee in the ball and I was just all gung ho to be a little teacher and he I stood back and I had coached him on the backswing and the follow through. He wailed back and hit me in the head and came around and hit me in the head again and the nine iron took a chunk out of the back Right quarter of my scalp peeled about a palm sized flap of skin and hair, and on the backswing hit me on this side and two giant flaps of skin peeled off my skin skull. And I wasn't sure what happened, but he turned around and he looked at me and the blood, you know how a head wound is, the blood just starts pouring down. And I put my hands up and I feel the soft wet part and then the little bristly hairy part because I had a crew cut at the time. So I pushed my scalp back on and I went running into my house. And I'll never forget the look on my mother's face. She's in the kitchen with her cat's eye glasses talking on the phone. And it was one of those black rotary dial phones. And she let go of the phone. I had blood running down on my arms and all over my little white T shirt. And she just made this dying pigeon noise. And then the first thing she did, because I had my. My younger brother and my younger sister, she called the neighbor to come and watch them. And then she called my dad and told him to meet us at the emergency room. And she threw me in the convertible and off we flew. And she was just locked on, driving like a mother to save her kid. And we pull up to the emergency room. And that was at Lackland Air Force base in Texas, 1969. My dad was a drill sergeant. So his job all day long was to yell at guys, tell them that they were no good and were going to die in Vietnam, and that his grandmother could do everything they could do, but better. And my dad was a badass. I mean, my dad has like the tan. If you've ever seen Full Metal Jacket, my dad would kick his ass. You know, rolled up sleeves, the tan uniform, the Smokey the Bear hat. And what I never realized at the time or until much later, is that at that time, my dad was 26 years old and my mom was 25. So they bundle me in to the emergency room. Or actually my dad hadn't gotten there yet. And so the doctor lays me up on the table and does a little pump. And I come up and he's looking at me and he's like, are you okay? I'm like, yeah, you know, I'm okay. And then in comes my dad and he's got the Smokey the Bear hat. He's like, where's my son? There I am, drenched in blood on the table. And the doctor's like, well, we're just, you know, gotta shave a little bit. There. And then we gotta stitch him up. And my dad's there, and he's holding my foot, and he's looking at me, and he's like, are you okay? But I heard, are you okay? So I was like, yes, sir, I'm okay. No problem. And the doctor then looks at my dad and he goes, I gotta. You know, you gotta realize if you've never been to an Air Force hospital, that it's not exactly like, you know, they do it on tv. It's kind of ad hoc. So he forgot something or, you know, he needed some extra parts or whatever. So he tells my dad, just stay here. I gotta go get the needle or something. So I'm there, and I'm looking at my dad, and I've got to impress him that I'm okay. And he's looking at me, and he's like, sure, you're okay? I'm like, yeah, dad worry. And he's there with his, you know, Smokey the Bear hats. This is like, I can't even describe to you what the drill sergeant aspect is unless you've lived it. And he looks at me and he's holding my foot, and his eyes roll back in his head, and he drops. And I think that he's trying to make me laugh. So I'm thinking, Dad's just trying to give me a little encouragement. I'm there, like, laughing. On the way down, my father hit his head on the end of that metal table so bad it caught his eye socket and ripped himself a scar. I'm laying there going, dad, that's funny. Where are you? And then the surgeon comes in and is like, what the fuck? He's like, get up. And he picks me up, and I help my dad, who is completely unconscious in a giant pool of blood with his tail, tan, uniform, completely drenched. We help my father. He lowers the table. We get my dad onto the thing. He's stitching my dad up. And I'm watching and helping everything. And I'm just, like, bundled up. It's a guy just, like, wrapped me real quick. And my dad is out, like, out cold. All right? And the surgeons, like, dude gives him, like, 16 stitches from the corner of his eye all the way back up. And I'm like, oh, wow. Like, I'm into it. I want my dad to be better. And then the surgeon's like, all right. And he goes and gets a wheelchair, and he's like, help me put your dad in the chair. We load my dad in the chair, and then he stitches me up. But because he knew mine were just superficial scalp wounds. It was. So then we get, you know, I'm all stitched up and then he wraps my whole head up and I got the big, you know, Q tip looking head with the blood spots soaking through. And then they put my dad in the wheelchair and my dad is still out and the surgeon goes, just push him out to your mom, okay? And my mother is in the waiting room and I come out pushing my father in the wheelchair, but I'm only about this tall, so I'm kind of looking over the side and I'll never forget the look on my mother's face. Just thank God she was sitting down when she fainted.

[Dan Kennedy]

Ed Gavigan has lived in New York City since Ed Koch was mayor and has built and designed furniture on four continents. The Moth is a non profit organization, so consider supporting our free podcast by going to our podcast contribution page or by becoming a Moth member. You can do [e-mail] Moth stories are now available on itunes by running a search for the Best of the Moth and include today's story which can be found on the Best of the Moth Volume 14. To learn more about this and all of the Moth's upcoming shows and our corporate events and training program, Visit our.

[Rosetta Stone Representative]

Website themoth.org Our podcast host Dan Kennedy is the author of the book Rock An Office Power Ballad.

[Dan Kennedy]

Learn [e-mail] thanks to Maz Swift for our podcast music. Thanks to all of you for listening and we hope you have a story worthy week. Podcast Audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Studios in New York. Podcast hosting by PRX Public Radio It's Cheap Change Helping Make Public Radio more [e-mail].