Arthur Miller won a Pulitzer for Death of a Salesman.
His main character's name (Willy Lowman) is a obvious pun on the two
words 'low man'.
As I was told of Wayne Everman, I was warned that he is "a bit
rough around the edges." So is the classic everyman character (Lowman)
from American literature. No writer could imagine a more perfect participant
for this project.
Although our first meeting was canceled to accomodate Wayne's deer-hunting, I became aware of his generosity once we did meet. He told stories of
the extinct Joyland
Park in Lexington--and seeing
the Joyland ferris wheel release itself from the carraige before rolling down
the street.
Wayne volunteered as a coach for T-Ball teams in Castlewood Park for
23 years. His trophy collection represents several championship teams
and hundreds of children (many still call him Dad). Several former players now coach T-Ball,
and others have played ball at the University of Kentucky.
Waynes most touching story outlined his welcoming of Lexington's first
African American T-baller to his team--and of all the teams that refused
to play him that season. This same team won the city-wide championship.