We played a fun game at Storytelling Camp a few years ago. Each person told three statements about themselves, but one had to be false. Then we guessed which one was untrue. I had so much fun. Best of all, everyone incorrectly guessed which of mine were false. Can’t say that I blame them.
I don’t remember what my other two statements were but, the true one that fooled everyone was: “I kissed John Schneider.” Yep, I kissed the guy who played Bo Duke on the “Dukes of Hazard.”
Of course, everybody wanted me to tell them the story of how I managed to accomplish that feat.
It happened in the winter of 1980 when I was 15 years old. There was a car and motorcycle show at the Civic Coliseum. Misty Rowe from Hee Haw and John Schneider were there as well to meet their fans.
I asked my parents if we could go since I was getting a little stir crazy from being inside the house. At that time, I had been couped up for days due to a bad head cold. They readily agreed. I think they needed to get out as much as I did.
On the way there, my mom asked me if I was looking forward to meeting John. I told her I wanted to wait to see how long the line was when we got there since I didn’t feel like standing still too long.
Once we were inside the show, my mom asked me again about meeting him. “How many times do you get to meet somebody famous? Besides, the line isn’t too long yet.”
I realized she was right. Honestly, she usually was. So, I got in line with the other girls. All the guys were in the line for Misty Rowe. As I stood there, I wondered if he would let me give him a kiss. I don’t know why I thought that. It just popped into my head.
To this day, I still remember being herded up to the stage where John Schneider was standing. He smiled and shook the hand of each one as she went by him. As my turn neared, I knew it was now or never. All he could do was to say “No.”
My heart was pounding when he stuck his hand out to me. I took it and asked, “May I give you a kiss?” He answered, “Sure.” Then he turned his cheek in my direction. Needless to say, I kissed him on his cheek.
“In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” Ephesians 3:12 (KJV)
Was my kissing John Schneider bold? Yes, it was. But, if you want the extraordinary, you have to be bold at times. That being said, the most extraordinary thing you can have and experience is salvation. So, tap into it and share it with others. Your boldness may the only way some will hear about Jesus.
When I started working on this article, I told my husband Tim the title of it. He gave me a quizzed facial expression with a raised eyebrow. Don’t worry, he’s known the story for years. He was just being funny; in fact, he agreed to pose for the picture. I also told him that I have often wondered if John Schneider had a bad cold after he left Knoxville. So, if John ever gets a chance to read this: “Sorry!”
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book, “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.