An Instant In Time

It always amazes me how many people were at the game the night I got hurt. Many times over the years, I have given a speech and afterwards someone will walk up to me and tell me they remember that night because they were there. It happened again yesterday.

I was in Chisago Lakes High School in Lindstrom, Minnesota, a small town about 50 miles from my house, and after my assembly with their ninth and tenth graders, a teacher approached me and told me his story.

He said he was an assistant coach at Marshall, one of the schools in our conference and a big rival. His assignment was to scout us the night of September 3, 1971. He told me a few things he remembered most about that night and what he took back to his staff at Marshall.

The night before, I attended the 26th Annual Banquet for the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living in St. Paul, and one of their honored guests was Kim Peck, the Director of the Minnesota Department of Rehabilitative Services. After the banquet, David Hancox, the Director at MCIL, introduced me to this year's keynote speaker, Minnesota House of Representative's first-term representative, Shelley Madore.

There were several people in our circle and as introductions were made, David told Shelley Kim and I had gone to high school together. In fact, Kim sat behind me in ninth grade Algebra class. Kim was also at the game the night I got hurt. Kim told her recollection of that night and what she remembered about coming to visit me in the hospital.

Here it is more than thirty-six years later and I'm still running into people who were there. If you were there, or remember something about that time, and how it affected you, please take a few minutes and comment about it here. I'm writing a chapter for the book about peoples' memories, and I may use your story. I'd appreciate it. Thank you in advance.