I get a LOT of friend requests on FB and accept very few. If I don’t know the person and we have fewer than 25 or so friends in common, I delete the request. Still, I have plenty of people I don’t know and more than a few dead people on my list of friends. Yesterday, I got a Facebook private message from a “friend” I don’t really know.
Here’s what it said:
Hi, my name is (removed for privacy) and it has been my intention for these last several months to tell you why – aside from your interesting face – I sent you a friend request. The reason is because I assumed based upon your name and location you could be related to Scott McKain. Maybe a niece or daughter. Now I have come to believe you are his sister which is even better.
Now I never knew Scott either – we were never friends or hung out or anything. I was only aware of him because he read the news and played the records on our local radio station WMPI in Scottsburg years ago.
I did however meet him briefly when he and I joined a couple hundred of our peers for a trip to Kansas State University back in the early mid 70’s. The night before our departure they gathered us all in a large banquet room at a hotel in Indianapolis, and after having fed us, one of the adults asked us each to stand up – one by one – and say our name and where we were from.
The room was really noisy with a co-ed group of teenagers getting to know each other so the first several speakers could hardly be heard. Then it was Scott’s turn and in his booming radio announcer’s voice he said “Hi, I am Scotty McKain from Jackson County” and then after a brief pause he added “God’s country.”
The room had gone silent as soon as he began to speak and when he finished and took his seat the teenagers began to applaud. So what’s my point?
Fast forward over 40 years and I now work for an Italian company which is headquartered in Milan but also has factories in Spain, France, Poland, Russia, India, as well as several in the United States and in Mexico and in South America as well. So I frequently encounter people who have never been to this country and know little about it. Sometimes they ask me “why do you live there, in Indiana? If I lived in America it would be in Hollywood where the movie stars are.” or “in Las Vegas so I could paarrrty” or “in the mountains so I could ski and snowboard” or “by the ocean so I could swim and surf every day.” Why do you live there in Indiana?” So when the question comes up I simply reply by stealing Scott’s observation from 40 years ago. “Because Indiana is God’s country.” Then I watch a look of amazement come into their eyes almost as if they have been given a revelation.
My point here is your brother took a throw away line and gave me a gift I have remembered and enjoyed for decades. That is true talent. That is true ability.
I am sure you are proud of your brother and I am sure he is proud of you. When you see him again – if you think of it – please thank him for me for the gift he gave us all many years ago.
Note: This gentleman is referring to a time shortly before this photo was taken…
