First off Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you are with those you love most in the world today. 

During my 20 years of living “on the road” in Country radio, I spent Thanksgiving with many wonderful people.  I generally got home for Christmas, but Thanksgiving was harder for many reasons.  I spent thanksgiving with Ray and Debbie and his family in Florida, also Tim and Kelly there many times.  In other cities it was many other amazing people who thought enough of me to invite me over.  And Don (Beef) and Terri here in Ohio. I love all of them.

My first Thanksgiving on the road was in Columbus 1983.  I had just started a new job a new country station, WRMZ and was working Thanksgiving and the day after.  My mom who lived in Berea went to Chicago to visit my brother for the weekend, and my sister was in Boston.  I was in my tiny apartment at the Moon Glow Apartments and it was a very cold day.  I worked that morning, went home and was watching the Detroit Lions on TV. (Billy Sims had a HUGE game).  As that game ended, and the second game was starting about 430, a knock on my door. It was my upstairs neighbor, Suzy.

I didn’t know her very well at all, and I guess she was about 10 years older than me, I was 22.  She worked overnights somewhere, I did know that. She went to her parents house for the the holiday, and somehow thought of me.  She brought me a huge plate of Thanksgiving food from her family feast, (with pie) and I was stunned.  It was all in Tupperware dishes and ready to go, just had to heat it up.  I was shocked, and I was so moved, even at 22 years old.  I asked her to come in but she said that she had to sleep before her midnight shift.  I thanked her and she left.

As I think back to that day, seldom did a Thanksgiving meal mean as much to me as the generosity of a stranger for the most part, not wanting me to be totally alone on a big holiday.  I ate the food for a day or two, and that was nice especially as I was very, very poor at that time.  It is still one of my best Thanksgiving memories ever.  I seldom saw Suzy after that, as she had an opposite schedule and kept pretty much to herself. 

Thank you Suzy, whoever and wherever you are  – I have never forgotten your act of real kindness – and never will.  It still makes me well up a bit, as it did that day.    Seldom has a Thanksgiving dinner tasted so good.

Happy Thanksgiving