Saturday, May 16, 2020
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From my book ‘Promises to Keep’
While in high school and during a part of the time that I had dated Ken’s sister-in-law, Linda Renshaw, our church youth group counselors were her sister, Diana, and bother-in-law, Ken McGraw. Although Diana was a couple of years older than I she clearly was a special person in many respects with a degree of maturity that I could easily foresee in Linda with a coming of age despite being somewhat of a blossoming free spirit.
Both Diana and Ken impressed me as being outstanding young adults and very good role models for all of the members of our youth fellowship. I admired Ken a great deal, most especially when he earned his MBA degree from Harvard two years later. Soon I began to imagine that, somehow, I might be able to emulate his success in much the same way. That influence came to the forefront five or so years later when I brashly applied for acceptance into the MBA programs at Harvard and at the Wharton School in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately, I made it only as far as the top third of the Harvard waiting list and was advised to re-apply the following semester. At that time Uncle Sam had thoughtfully reserved for me what could well have become a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia, so sitting out a semester did not seem to be the wise choice. Much to my delight and considerable relief, the University of Pennsylvania accepted me into their MBA program from which I graduated two years later.
The photo below was take at the Renshaw's home on Ednor Road in Baltimore before departing for a Halloween party at the local Methodist church. Linda was wearing a recycled McDonogh School uniform from my fifth grade year, and I donned a borrowed Baltimore city fireman's turnout coat and helmet. It was a fun time!
‘Everything Happens for a Reason’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxGFr1jidI4&t=72s
