Today is a day that we as a nation count our blessings. One of my blessings is the literally hundreds of people I have had the privilege to meet in the course of this project. If I never sell the first book, or clear a dime (highly likely), I will still be a rich man for having come to know, and developed friendships with, the nicest group of Buckeyes you could ever imagine. July 4th seems a good day to share with you some uplifting correspondence I received from one of them.
If you follow this space, you have read "The Hat" stories below and the follow-up D-day post "Tribute to Fred". A couple of weeks ago, I received an email in response to these posts. I am sharing it with you today, with the permission of the sender:
I want to express my thanks for the wonderful articles you wrote about the "man in the hat". The gentleman you mentioned in the "hat" is none other than my Dad Fred. Dad just turned 92 (your math was correct!) On June 12th, Father's Day, he threw a big party a his home in Seabrook, TX. When I got to Dad's house there was a huge block "O" on the front of his house! Since Mom passed away some six years ago there seems to be a new style of interior decorating - scarlet and gray and anything Ohio State.
Now I have never been to a football game at Ohio Stadium but I can guarantee that I will be at one with Dad this year. You mentioned his standing for the playing of "Carmen Ohio" and asked whether he had tears in his eyes. That is a very good question. There are just a very few times I ever witnessed my Dad with tears which is very typical for his generation. The first time was in 1969 when Eisenhower died. As you mentioned he had met Eisenhower and he obviously loved and respected that man. Dad came home from work to watch the Eisenhower funeral on TV and that is the first time, until Mom passed away in 2002, I ever saw tears in his eyes.
Growing up as a S.O.B. - Son of Buckeye! - I learned to understand and love the game of football and this is directly related to my Dad's connection to The Ohio State University. Thank you for the wonderful entries about the man in the hat because it brought tears to me and his other 11 children (9 girls, three boys). In the next couple of weeks, I will send you a story of what it was like growing up in Texas as Ohio State fans. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that your story about Carmen Ohio brought a very steady stream of tears to my eyes. Your words and prose in that entry were very powerful to me, his son.
Take care and I wish you the best.
Fred's Son Mike
Who is Fred? What is Mike's last name? All that and more will be in the book of course, and if I told you now, you wouldn't need to read it would you. Stay tuned for more details. As for today, count the blessings that your nation, and people like Fred, have given you.