The other day somebody
asked me “What are you going to miss the most about this place?”
referring to KFUO-FM, or as we have come to know it, “CLASSIC 99.”
That question stopped me in my tracks. The quick answer, of course, is
“everything.” But it did get me thinking about all the programs and
projects and partnerships and events and special broadcasts and all the rest
we’ve been involved with over the years. What I realized in all those
reflections was that I was always coming back to the people—trusted
colleagues, responsive listeners, dedicated supporters, special project
partners, talented collaborators, enduring friendships.
At the end of
certain programs, such as our LIVE broadcasts from the Garden or Powell Hall,
we would read through a list of credits—the people we needed to thank. If
I were to do that now: put real names to all the faces of all the people who
have been running through my mind since I was asked the question that started
this musing in the first place, the list would be miles long and take hours to
read.
That’s the whole point, isn’t it? CLASSIC 99 was never
really about the music. Oh, the music was great—the greatest music in the
world; that’s for sure. But that void can be replaced. The wonderful thing
about technology is: if you want Bach or Beethoven or Brahms on demand, you can
get it.
CLASSIC 99 was about people. People with a connection:
sometimes passive, other times passionate. Colleagues, listeners, supporters,
partners, collaborators —people who shared a common love for something
they truly cared about. It is the relationships with those people that I will
miss the most.
I am forever grateful to all the above, who made it
possible for me to have these enduring relationships. And I am especially
grateful to God for this 32-year opportunity to serve in this historic place.
Especially: thank you, our listeners, for letting me be a part of your
life for some or all of that time. I don’t know what the future holds. But
I do believe in the resurrection. And I recognize that there must be death
before new life can occur. What form that new life may take remains a mystery.
God bless you. – Ron |
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