MY HERO WHO FIXES SYSTEMS…ONE MORE THING…PITTS, ELLINGTON, MITCHELL…

…AND TEXAN TITANS TURK FAMILIES ALL HAVE one friend in common with MHWFS, Mary Sue PITTS and her son Scott Mitchell PITTS. I am hoping their love and acceptance of their out and proud gay son is still as real as it was when I tutored him in Practical Mathematics so that he could complete his Bachelors degree in Physical Education at Pepperdine University. Scott, who owned and operated a pro shop at a local Seligman, Missouri rural-metropolitan area country club at age 13, knew mathematics as well or better than I know teaching. A severe math anxiety “precipitated in the aftermath of severe childhood trauma” was all that was keeping Scott an amazing triathlete, Red Cross Certified Water Safety Instructor, was also post-Pepperdine an active “Pepperdine Wave” and led the creative team at Coca-Cola World Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia that launched a cloisonné Olympic pin trading concept that took Scott and as many of his family members brave enough to travel around the globe to every continent.

Scott was, to use a trope for anyone else, THE OG REAL DEAL. I had the honor to meet his literal (to me at 5’9” then) gentle giant of a Southern gentleman dad. We had no idea then it would be the last time I got to spend with a wise and soft spoken man who loved his son, daughters and wife, Mary Sue, beyond all reason. Every holiday season since a Christmas break from Purdue U in the 90’s I smile at the remembrance of what still was then and remains MY BEST CHRISTMAS EVER with MY BEST FRIEND FOREVER! Yep…