Day Five – Proudest Moment

I didn’t have to think twice about this answer.  My proudest moment was January 9, 2020. Now to explain why.

I’m a small-town girl.  I have always been proud to say I am from Warren, Ohio.  We’ve even had a few famous people from this city in the northeast.  Maybe you have heard of Earl Derr Biggers.  He was born on August 26, 1884 in Warren, Ohio.  He was an American novelist and playwright. His novels featured the fictional Chinese American detective Charlie Chan and were adapted into popular films made in the United States and China.   Then there was Harrier Taylor Upton. She was an American political activist and author. Upton is best remembered as a leading Ohio state and national figure in the struggle for women’s right to vote and as the first woman to become a vice-chair of the Republican National Committee. We can’t forget about Roger Ailes. He was born in Warren, Ohio, and graduated from Warren G. Harding High School.  He was an American television executive and media consultant and the chairman and CEO of Fox News. He was inducted into Warren G. Harding High School’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.  I am proud to say my brother, Mark and I have both joined Roger Ailes as Distinguished Alumni. And how about about Dave Grohl, born in Warren, Ohio on January 16, 1969.   He is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, for which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Before forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of the rock band Nirvana from 1990 to 1994.

Here are three others from Warren that play into my proudest moment:

Paul Warfield was born in Warren, Ohio on November 28, 1942.  He was a star halfback at The Ohio State University. He was an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League from 1964 to 1977 for the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins.  He was known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, and jumping ability. A consistent big-play threat throughout his career, his 20.1 average yards per reception is the highest in NFL history among players with at least 300 receptions.

David Lee Morgan was born in Warren, Ohio in 1965 and is an American sportswriter, author, teacher, and motivational speaker.  He is the author of six sports books, including the first biography of LeBron James. He has appeared on the ESPN program Outside the Lines, the 2008 documentary film More Than a Game, and the Disney XD series Becoming.

Dennis Drummond grew up in Warren where his father worked as a steelworker for 40 years.  He got his first guitar at seven years old and a few years later started his first blues band.  In 2012, after graduating from Berklee College of Music, Dennis moved to Nashville to pursue his music career as a touring guitar player. Performing the Black Crowes song “She Talks to Angels” on “The Voice” in 2017, Dennis Drummond was captivating enough to convince two judges to push their buttons for the singer.

Before I tell you how they play into my proudest moment, a little more about my hometown.  Let’s look back to 1922/23 during the Golden Age of Hollywood and 160 East Market Street in Downtown, Warren, Ohio. Oh, I also “stole” the following narrative from the Robins Theatre website, but I think my brother will forgive me.

“The Robins Theatre was commissioned by Daniel Robins, who was an early partner of Abraham Warner of the famed Warner Brothers. It was designed by C. Howard Crane and I. J. Goldston and constructed by the Charles Shutrump and Sons Company of Youngstown, Ohio. It was built in 1922 at a cost of $300,000.The exterior of the building is in the Italian Renaissance style, while the theatre is Adam Style with Vermont marble columns, grand staircases, and ornate walls and ceilings.

The Robins Theatre opened to a full house on January 9, 1923. The stage was once used for vaudeville productions and could be converted from screening motion pictures to presenting live theatre performances in 24 hours. It remained in continuous operation until 1974 when the doors were permanently closed. By 2017, the theatre remained almost completely original, however, more than forty years of vacancy had taken its toll.

In December 2017, the Robins Theatre was purchased by Downtown Development Group (DDG), which committed to restoring the theatre in two years with as much historical accuracy as possible. The restored theatre is equipped to accommodate concerts, stage shows, and film screenings.”

My brother just happens to be “Downtown Development Group”.  His goal was to have the restoration complete so it could have a grand re-opening on January 9, 2020, 97 years after its original opening. When I say grand, I mean GRAND.  Complete with limos, Hollywood-style spotlights, and the entire audience entering on a red carpet.  But, I’m getting ahead of myself.  The entertainment needed to be grand also.  My brother and sister-in-law also wanted it to be connected to Warren, Ohio.  The headliner would be Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, a nationally renowned contemporary swing revival band from Southern California.  The three opening acts would highlight the city.

Cheryl Warfield, a well-known opera singer, and brother of football star Paul Warfield would perform. Along with David Lee Morgan’s sister, famed pianist, Dana Kristina Joi Morgan, and Dennis Drummond himself.

At the end of 2019, I was halfway around the world living in Bali, Indonesia, but there was no way I was going to miss this night. I returned to Warren for the holidays, but more importantly for January 9, 2020.

I’ve had some pretty amazing moments/days/nights. I have sipped champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower at midnight with the love of my life, my BFF, and her hubby.  I have overnighted on Mount Everest Base Camp where I witnessed the most glorious sunset. I’ve dined at the Captain’s Table on a cruise ship somewhere in the Mediterranean.  I’ve walked the same path the Dalai Lama walked in the Potala Palace in Tibet. I’ve climbed the Great Wall of China and visited the DMZ between North and South Korea.  I’ve stood at the Gate to Heaven at Pura Lempuyang, Bali, and have seen the 2200-year-old Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin in Xi’an, China.  In 2002, I watched the funeral procession of the Queen Mum in London.  I’ve ridden a camel in the Gobi Desert, had an “elephant massage” in Thailand, visited Angkor Wat, and exhumed, cleaned, and prepared a body for cremation in Peliatan, Bali, Indonesia.

The list could go on, but right now nothing can top January 9, 2020.

The night was like the Oscars.  The marquee was lit and flanked by spotlights seen for miles.  The red carpet was laid because all of Warren, Trumbull County, and NE Ohio were the stars. Swag bags were passed out by the high school football players.  It was a black-tie night and I was in my gown.  I live just around the corner from the theatre, a one-minute walk at most.  At about 6 pm, a white stretch limo pulls up and Mark, in his tuxedo, gets out of the car and walks to me.  He puts his arms around me, and I immediately start to cry.  This is the night he has been waiting for.  He escorts me to the limo and once inside, pours me a glass of champagne and says, “Here’s to mom and dad”.  The limo pulls away and drives around the block and Mark, Lori, and I, along with our family and friends walk the red carpet to the most amazing proudest night of my life.

The theatre is buzzing, people are oohing and ahhing and I know my brother is behind the curtain.  He told me as he stood back there, the pride he felt was unparalleled in his time on this earth.  He walked out to a standing ovation.

The theatre was at capacity (1350) and they all stood for him, but soon he told them, not for him, but for every single person who had a hand in the restoration.  He then, one by one introduced his tuxedo-clad crew.  They walked head held high and proud across the stage as he introduced each one and told what their part in the restoration was.  Then, he asked if everyone liked the chandelier and all the bling in the theatre.  Hands clapped and patrons yelled “yes” as he introduced the person responsible, the “person near and dear to his heart”, his wife, Lori.  It truly was a night to remember and the best night of my life, so far!

I got a little teary-eyed writing this. Sitting in the audience that night, it is without a doubt the proudest moment of my life.