Becky Bacon came to stay with me yesterday and left today.  So much fun.  She is married to Joe Mike--you may remember that I told you that he was Garth Brooks pilot for a number of years.  Vietnam veteran, aviator.  He and Ken were wonderful friends and Becky reminded me of how all of us met.  I had forgotten this story.

She and Joe were living in St. Louis and needed to move closer to Texas--where his mother was--but stay within driving distance of St. Louis--where Becky's son was.  So in a conversation with Richard Dickerman--a China missionary who was visiting his ailing mother in St. Louis, (Becky was an R.N. caring for his mother), Richard suggested that they move to Pryor as it was halfway between St. Louis and Texas.  Richard told them that he had served in China for many years with a missionary doctor that was from Pryor and told them how wonderful Dr. Swan was and that he would be an instant friend.  So Becky and Joe moved there.

Cut to the day I met Becky.  I started going to a Bible study at my church, saw Becky and knew she was new.  I asked her who she was and how long she had been in Pryor.  She told me that she and Joe Mike had just moved to town.  I asked her what they were doing in Pryor, and she said a friend had suggested it as a half-way point between Texas and St. Louis.  He said it was a great town and that it was the home town of a missionary friend of his in China, Dr. Swan, and did I know him. I answered yes, and she asked what was he like.

"He's a real brat," I said.  She was shocked.  She said, "Everything I've heard about him was so very positive and wonderful.  I can't imagine why don't you like him."   "Well," I said, "I like him okay, but from an older sister's point of view, growing up, he was ornery." And I told her the story of how he would get home before I did from school, get the mail and hide my letters from Ken.  And a dozen other stories of growing up with a little brother.

"I can't believe that the first person I have met in Pryor is Bill Swan's sister,"  Becky said!  We then began to talk about our husbands, their common experience as military pilots.  Later, Ken and Joe met each other and instantly bonded.  Ken called Joe his little brother.  They became best friends.

Becky said that Joe was so proud to be Ken's friend.  That feeling was mutual.  That was twenty-two years ago.  It seems like yesterday to me.  It seems like yesterday to Becky as well.