You Just Never Know...

This past Saturday, my Dad and I provided music for the Hannibal High School Class of 1990's reunion at the Quality Inn in Hannibal, MO. I found out something at this reunion that at first I couldn't believe. It made me chuckle, smile, and reiterated to me again what a great Dad I have!

Let me give some background first. For those of you who may not know, my Dad was a Radio and Television Broadcaster in the Hannibal/Quincy, IL area for years. He left the world of media in 1993, but he has never truly given up his love of it. In fact, he still works part time for KHMO Radio in Hannibal, MO.  When I was in high school, my Dad worked for both WTAD Radio and KHQA-TV. While working for the TV Station, he did the early news reports. Those are the reports that come on during the breaks of the CBS Early Show. He would also give a report at the 6 pm and 10 pm news casts every weekday.

When I was a teenager, I would wake up every morning seeing my Dad on television. When my little brother, Andrew, was 3 years old he would walk over to the television screen and kiss it when my Dad was on. It truly was a unique experience to have a Dad that was on TV. Even though it was local television, some people made a big deal out of it. Once, when I was about 16, my family was at a grocery store in Quincy. A woman recognized my Dad in the checkout aisle, and immediately she began speaking to my parents. I asked my Mom for the keys to the van, and I took my two brothers out to our minivan. This lady followed my parents out to our vehicle as they were trying to get groceries in the van. At one point, she popped her head in the back seat of the van, staring at the three of us. She said, "I always wanted to know what Ron Hendren's children looked like." Yeah, it was kind of strange at times! :)

For a while, my Dad was the Sunday School Director at the church I grew up in. On Sunday mornings, he would do announcements in front of the church body. One time a little girl went home from church and told her mom a movie star went to that church. Of course, her mother thought the little girl was lying, but she insisted she did see a movie star. The mom called the pastor to find out what her child was talking about. Of course she had been talking about my Dad!

There were other times my family would go out to eat, and my Dad would be started at the whole time. Or we would go to the grocery store, and when my Dad would write a check, someone would say, "I thought that was you!" For my Dad, it was a job. He did not see it as being glamorous (and the pay checks were definitely not glamourous). He did not think of himself as being "famous." When I became a radio broadcaster myself, it was a job to me too. It truly was a really fun job though! My voice became my living, and the contact with the public was energizing.

Now back to the current day....

Saturday night, as we are about to break out the music, turn up the speakers, and turn down the lights, one of the class members steps up to the microphone to introduce us and thank everyone for coming. His name is Travis Naughton, and he is married to a classmate of mine from high school. He introduced himself and shook my dad's hand. Then he told my dad that when he was in Jr High School, he had to do a report on who he admired the most. He told us he did the report on my Dad. I think Dad's response was, "What? Are you serious?"

And yes, Travis was serious. He told us he used video of my Dad's morning reports and let him do the bulk of the talking in the report. Travis said he'd told his dad he knew who he was going to do his report on. Travis' dad, thinking it would be him, said, "Oh you do?" And Travis said, "Yes Ron Hendren." Taken aback a little, Travis' dad said, "Oh that's cool."

After hearing this my Dad told Travis he just had one question: What was the grade on the report? Travis said, "Oh I got an A of course."

I think I must have chuckled about it three or four times that night. Each time my Dad would just shake his head, and say, "Okay you can stop." As soon as we got in my parents' house, I told my Mom the story. I actually think the whole thing is really neat! I mean, how many daughters can say someone did a report on how cool their Dad is? It also just goes to show that we never truly know the impact we have on someone else. Travis did this report over twenty-five years ago. Yet, he still remembered doing it, and he was excited when he found out my Dad would be there so he could tell him this story.

I have always been so proud of my Dad for who he is, what he has given to his family. I think the proud meter inched up a bit more Saturday night! :)