Looking Forward Through the Rear View Mirror

"Looking Forward Through the Rear View Mirror" profiles a coming of age tale of Scott Spykstra, a naive 14-year old, whose simple family background and Catholic education have formed his values. His journey begins in the final weeks of 8th grade, where humorous altar boy stories and classroom scenes unfold, led by a class clown. Scott's life dramatically changes upon becoming a golf caddie at a private country club. After surviving the caddie training and initiations, Scott begins to interact with a diverse array of eclectic members, who broaden his exposure to a complex world.

Set in a small Midwestern city, the story reflects a parochial perspective on social issues and political philosophies in 1965, influenced by headline events, songs, television shows and movies which form the backdrop for constant dialogue, creating intriguing twists, metaphors, and puzzles for the reader.

Over time, Scott develops a bond with the tough caddie master and several caddies, including a 21-year old felon, who has the greatest influence on his maturity. As the summer ends with a stunning conclusion, Scott reflects on his experiences and tries to balance the conflict with his upbringing and the new world that he entered as a caddie.

As a first time writer, Steve Bye draws his characters and background for his scenes from interactions with a few thousand people he has met over his life. Steve is a native of La Crosse, Wisconsin, spending his early teenage years as a caddie and over his college summers, a bag room attendant at a private country club. In 1969, was awarded a Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship by the Evans Scholars Foundation to the University of Wisconsin, where he received a BBA in Urban Land Economics and in 1974, graduated with a Masters-Business Administration (MBA) degree in Real Estate Investment, also from UW-Madison. Steve's family settled in Denver, Colorado in 1978 and prior to his retirement in 2017, focused on a career path around the commercial mortgage banking industry as an intermediary to arrange financing and other forms of capital for major real estate projects across the United States. Beginning in 1983, he built a mortgage banking office in Denver and over time, employed over 75 professionals, who contributed to the placement of over $13 billion in capital, encompassing at least 1,800 transactions. Over his career, Bye was a frequent speaker at trade industry events and a guest lecturer at two major universities.