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I would be proud to be Polish but I'm not sure what nationality I am? I've felt a special affinity for the land of Poland since 1981 when I edited James Michener's great historal novel, "Poland". Of course, I might be Italian because I love Italian food. Or, I might be Irish because when a good fiddler plays "King of the Fairies"....I break out in goose flesh.
Here's my story.....in the late 40's, Abner and Mabel Crow discovered a newborn baby on their door step. Abner and Mabel had a hog farm on Rt. 66 in Carthage, Mo. just outside of Joplin. When I was about 3, Abner gave me a tin whistle to play with. Abner was on the great Kansas Team of 1939....I found his old Rule Book in the Barn. I learned how to read fom his Rule Book. When I started first grade the teacher would lead the class,
"See Dick. See Jane. See Dick and Jane run....."
I'd say,
"Looks to me like Dick picked up his darn pivot foot."
That year, I painted numbers on all our pigs. Every morning I'd yell "Sooooo-eeeee" and the pigs would charge to the trough for some whey. I'd blow my tin whistle and call the blocks and charges.
One day when I was about 8, a flashy sports car stopped on Rt. 66. A very tall young black man emereged after watching me and the pigs. He said,
"Kid....I was born to play above the rim and you were born to BLOW that whistle. Don't let anybody every discourage you because you could be the BEST ref ever!"
He zoomed away. Years later, I realized that it was Wilt Chamberlain making one of his legendary 24-hour drives from the East Coast to the West Coast via old Rt. 66.
Wilt's gone now. The Big Dipper is in heaven and only he and I knew that story before today.
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