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HOWDY SON, I’M YOUR CONGRESSMAN, RAY ROBERTS…WHAT IS ON YOUR FACE?

      I graduated from Sherman High School in 1968 and passed the test for my First Class F.C.C. license, which permitted me to work at a radio station by myself.  That summer I joined KTXO-AM radio in the top of the Grayson Bank Building.   This was a lot of fun, a county western format and only 250 watts…sunrise to sunset.  I enrolled at Grayson County College and worked about 3-4 hours per day at the station.

     That fall, our congressman, Ray Roberts, came down from Washington, D.C., and was making a tour of Sherman-Denison.  I was
given the task of joining the congressman’s entourage while he made his stops for the following two days.  The plan was to be present when he addressed different groups, record some of his remarks and weave them into a news story.

      Congressman Roberts was a very nice fellow, would emerge from his car, extend his hand to me and say, “Howdy son, I’m your congressman, Ray Roberts.”  I returned the greeting, explained I was with KTXO Radio and would be touring with him…I did this about 4-5 times.  He never caught on that we had already met each other multiple times.  My grinning smile must have been swept up as part of the great faceless mass of the crowds.

     That evening I was telling my father about the day and mentioned Congressman Roberts introduced himself to me multiple times.  Dad chuckled and said, “Tomorrow, if you tape a dead fly between your eyes and he introduces himself to you, he will remember you going forward.”  I thought that over and felt it would work, but it sounded like the congressman and his staff would immediately know I was being a wise guy.    I probably should modify the visual statement to make it a bit more subtle.

      The next day I applied a small band aid to my chin.  I then found a dead fly, lifted the corner of the band aid and put the fly partially underneath.  Some of the legs, part of it’s head and eye were visible, just outside the perimeter of the bandage.  I then met up with the congressman’s entourage for the next stop.

     Sure enough, Ray Roberts emerges from his car, is shaking hands, gets to me and says, “Howdy son…WHOA!”  He studied my face and chin with a furrowed brow.   We ultimately exchanged greetings and he moved on, while continuing to look back at me as he went through the reception line.   He spoke to an aide who approached me and asked if I knew I had a fly under the band aid on my chin.    I just smiled.

     We went to the next stop, the congressman is shaking hands, gets to me and says, “Good to see you again, Buck!”  I became indelibly stamped onto his brain!

     A couple of years later Congressman Roberts came by Channel 12 for an interview and I was assigned the task.  We exchanged greetings and he said, “…Oh yes, I remember you when you worked for a radio station here in Sherman.  I recall you had a bandage on your chin the last time we talked.”  I complimented him on his memory and saw his staff whispering with one another and pointing at me. 


It is nice to be well remembered.

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