I will not be with you Monday.
I'll be playing in the Bo Kolinsky Scholarship Golf Tournament at Lake of Isles.

Bo died in December, 2003. He was just 49.

Bo was a longtime writer and editor for the Hartford Courant sports department, and one of the nicest guys I ever knew.
When he asked how you were...when he complimented your work...he looked you right in the eye and meant it.
Almost every time we talked, I remember thinking to myself, "I wish I were that nice." (I try, but I just don't pin the "nice" meter.)

And in a time when many sportswriters go on television and yell at each other because they think it's entertaining (hello, ESPN screamers), Bo was a gentleman who tended to what he loved, his newspaper. He never sought to elevate himself above an event, never tried to shove his opinion down your throat.

Proceeds from this tournament go to the Bo Kolinsky Scholarship, given to a high school senior planning a career in Bo's beloved field. Bo dedicated much of his time to making sure young athletes were properly covered (he was the Courant's high school sports editor), and he would be most pleased.

Of course, all of us who knew Bo would be most pleased if he were still with us.

I last saw him shortly before his death, when I emceed the Connecticut Section PGA's annual awards dinner.
We had our usual cordial chat, and I'm sure it ended with "See ya."

I wish.

I "see" Bo every now and then, because I don't live far from where he's buried. From time to time, I pull into the cemetery and visit.
Honestly, I really don't know why.

Maybe it's because sometimes you don't get the chance to say a proper "goodbye."