Ronda Rich

Syndicated Columnist

The good Lord has a sense of humor. Of this, I am very certain. I’ve seen His sense of humor a few times, but I was reminded of it the other day.

I was in the barn looking for something when I walked by a box of Tink’s father’s things. I will always take time to look because his was a fascinating life and he collected items that I, a simple country girl, never dreamed that I would hold in my hands. One is a simple black with a slender band that is engraved on the back: Dang! Another black tie event. It was gifted to Grant Tinker by his wife, Mary Tyler Moore. It has become mine. I think of my Grant Tinker every time I look at it.

People, especially Tink, found it amusing that the former chairman of NBC and a girl who grew up on Rural Route One could become the best of friends. Upfront, the day I met him, he asked “Tell me about yourself.” I took a deep breath and plunged in.

“I’m just country girl from the foothills. I hear with an Appalachian ear, which means I can’t pronounce some words correctly. But I come from good people. We work hard, keep our word and turn to the Bible in times of trouble. I don’t want to present myself as someone I’m not.”

He smiled. “I think we’re going to be good friends.” This from a man of few words. Our relationship grew strong and when I tried to pronounce a word and failed, he would smile and said, “That’s fine.” He had spent years in an industry where people pretended to be who they weren’t. I think I was a breath of fresh air to him.

One day when we were visiting, I said, “Grant Tinker (I always called him by both names), isn’t it amazing that one of your ancestors was named for General Grant, then you were named Grant after him and one of television’s most iconic characters was named Grant after you.”

He furrowed his brow. “Which iconic character?”

I was stunned for a moment, thinking he’s teasing but his eyes told me that he wasn’t. “Mr. Grant on Mary’s show.”

“He wasn’t named after me.” Like Shirley Temple, I threw back my shoulders and said firmly, “Yes, he was.”

Let me pause here and say that no one inside the Tinker family or out would dare to dispute him.

“And, you know this how?” “I figured it out.” Then I had Tink call Allen Burns (co-creator) of the show and ask. He said “yes.” It was an inside joke.

Stunned, he looked at me and shook his head. “It never crossed my mind that he was named for me. My first name is Grant and his last name was Grant.”

He sat there, pondering it, shaking his head in disbelief then asked, “Do you know anything else you can tell me?”

“No, but at least now you know I have spunk.” Another inside joke from the MTM show. I winked. He couldn’t help himself. He laughed. And, Tink was bewildered.

That day in the barn, I found several silver trophy cups. Most were engraved “Winner. Tennis Tournament. Bel Air Country Club.”

I picked one out and took it to the house. I set it on the back porch on a table next to my rocking chair. A few months later, when the weather turned warmer, I was sitting in that rocking chair, computer in my lap, writing. One of the animals, a cat or dog, ran by the table and rattled it, causing the silver trophy to fall off. I didn’t try to save it. I just watched as it rolled across the porch, then fell behind a hydrangea.

I laughed. Silver from the Bel Air Country Club had found comfort in the red clay of the Deep South.

Probably, the Lord laughed, too.

Ronda Rich is the best selling author of the Stella Bankwell series. Visit www.rondarich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter.