A Familiar Face in the Crowd
John Grisham
Have you ever passed by someone and thought you knew them but couldn’t quite place them? That happened to me when I “met” legendary author John Grisham.
Sometimes, you get the opportunity to stop and ask the other person how you know them. Other times, the meeting is fleeting enough that you simply move on…and then it bugs you until you remember who they are, or, more likely, who they resemble.
I was on a trip to Jacksonville, Fla., about 20 years ago for some meetings. I was looking forward to some beautiful weather, especially when I found out that my hotel was on the beach. I could hit a 5-iron into the ocean from our rooftop, if I had a 5-iron with me.
It rained all three days I was there. I never went to the beach. I rarely even left the hotel.
The day I left, I went up to my room to check out. When I got off the elevator, I saw about a dozen 12-year-old boys running up and down the hall. They were obviously stir-crazy because they couldn’t leave the hotel either.
I felt really bad for the guy who was standing in the doorway of his room, trying to corral them. He looked exasperated—yet familiar—as we exchanged nods. I figured the familiarity was the look on his face trying to “herd cats.”
I smiled to let him know that I understood his predicament. As I walked past, he said to the boys, “C’mon guys, keep it down.” I chuckled and remembered those days with my own kids.
When I got to the airport, I called a friend who lived in Jacksonville. He hadn’t been able to get away while I was there, so we had to settle for a phone conversation. During our chat, he asked what hotel I had stayed in. When I told him, he said, “Oh, that’s where Grisham and his boys are staying.”
I was embarrassed that the guy I “met” was none other than John Grisham. Not only was he a famous author, he was a famous author! He does what I do for a living. Besides that, a few years earlier, I had used pictures of him in a book I wrote about the history of Mississippi State athletics. I not only knew about him, I knew what he looked like. That’s why he looked familiar!
His biography on his website sounds like I want mine to sound like, only better.
“John Grisham is an expert storyteller, whose unforgettable characters fight for justice in a world that isn’t always fair.
“Grisham is the author of 47 consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly 50 languages. His recent books include The Judge’s List, Sooley and his third Jake Brigance novel, A Time for Mercy, which is being developed by HBO as a limited series.
“Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
“When he’s not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.”
Grisham is also a huge baseball fan. He especially loves Mississippi State baseball. He loves it so much, he built a replica of Dudy Noble Field in the yard of his estate in Mississippi.
Occasionally he would host little league baseball tournaments at that field, with his own team of 12-year-olds serving as the hosts. The idea was to give them experience in running an event, something that could benefit them as adults.
As a reward, each fall he would take them on a trip somewhere special, where they would play in a tournament. It was the ultimate in travel baseball, except the focus wasn’t on winning; it was team-bonding and having fun with a great game.
That was why Grisham was in Jacksonville in the same hotel as I was with a bunch of 12-year-old boys. The rain kept those boys from playing the game and seeing the sights of Jacksonville, including the beach that was a 5-iron away.
I’ve carried that memory around for the past 20 years. As I think about it, I think about how cool John Grisham is. He spent his own money to provide an opportunity for a different group of 12-year-olds every year. He didn’t have a familial relationship with them. In fact, I don’t know how he selected them. I don’t know if he still does that, but he did it for a number of years.
He poured into them. He helped them with baseball, but more importantly, he helped them with life. A three-day excursion to a hotel in rain-soaked Jacksonville could have caused a lot more turmoil than just having some boys running up and down the hallways of that hotel. But the relationship he established with them prevented that.
It inspired me to do a few things. First, to look at the bigger picture when I see (even from a distance) someone going through a rough patch. Second, to use my passion for something to benefit others. Finally, to pour into young people.
I love the fact that Grisham did that with a bunch of 12-year-olds, an age group that can be hard to deal with, even in good situations.
I just wish I was smart enough to tell him that face-to-face.