30 Seconds of Fame

 

When I was a kid growing up in Harford County, Maryland, behind our house were woods that went back to the next road over a mile away.  So we had plenty of space to roam.  I loved climbing trees.  Once you get up to the first branch, it is relatively easy to climb to the very top ... for me.  I used to look for the highest hill and the highest tree on that hill to climb.  I would get to the top, pull out my pocketknife, and carve my name in the top of that tree.  I never dreamed that I would use my tree-climbing skill in a practical way.  Let me explain:  In 1965, Evangelist Oliver B. Greene came to our community with his gospel tent.  The revival went on for five weeks that summer with 2,000 people on those rough-sawn benches every night.  Wonderful memories!  On the last evening of the meeting, all of the ladies brought picnic baskets and, after the service was over, the men took down the tent.  After the benches were removed and disassembled, the side poles taken down, and the stakes loosened, the canvas was ready to come down from the three main poles.  But someone had forgotten to unhook the safety chains that held the tent collars at the top of the poles.  The men were scrambling to find a ladder tall enough to reach the top.  While everyone was busy, I climbed right up the center pole, unhooked the chain, and shinnied back down.  It only took 30 seconds.  By then, two other boys had done the same thing on the other two poles.  The tent came down without another hitch, and I had my 30 seconds of fame.  That was 57 years ago.  Hey, look up Oliver B. Greene on YouTube and listen to one of his old-time radio messages.  Great preaching!