“Around us, life bursts with miracles, a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Our Hero met Kyle Macy today, or to hear him tell it, Kyle Macy met him. For those of you who may not be from Kentucky, may not be basketball fans, or may be too young to remember how great Kentucky basketball was in the 1970’s, Kyle’s name may not ring a bell. For the rest of us though, Kyle Macy represents the best of UK Basketball, and as far as I’m concerned, the best of the University of Kentucky. You can read more about his career here, but the short version is that he was point guard on the UK team that won the 1978 NCAA championship, a first round draft pick in the NBA, and coached/s at Morehead State and Transylvania U. He also does basketball commentary for TV and radio and coaches tennis. Kyle and I met when he started doing oral histories, many of which air as part of his TV show “From The Rafters of Rupp” featuring players whose jerseys have been retired (including his) and hang from the rafters of Rupp Arena. You can watch the promo for his spot here. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Kyle over the years. He’s such an easy going soul with a hilariously dry sense of humor. But the man upped his game for my heart today. We met to exchange hard drives for the next season of Rafters. When Kyle learned dad was in the car, he walked right by me and went straight to dad. Dad didn’t recognize him, no surprise, but when I introduced Kyle by his full name, dad lit up because he did, in fact, remember who Kyle Macy is. Dementia is a funny thing that way. Dad can’t tell you where the refrigerator is, but he remembers Kyle Macy from those golden years of UK basketball. It tickled him to death to meet Kyle, and you can really tell it in these pictures. What’s more, after his doctor’s appointment (which is why he was in the car with me), he remembered who he met when we got home. I said, “Dad, tell mom who you met today.” He replied, “Oh, yea, Kyle Macy. He remembered me.” I giggled, but Kyle made his day and he made mine, too. He’s one of the best people I know, and if there was ever a doubt, there sure ain’t after today.
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