A Joyful Journey

I had to ask myself, "What am I doing here?" Dimon McFerson, the subject of this biography, was lying in a James Cancer Hospital room awaiting another round of chemotherapy treatment. With an hour or so on his hands, he had agreed to another interview session regarding his years at Nationwide Insurance, and it was my task to ignore the nurses, the IVs, the general atmosphere of a cancer facility, and probe his mind for details that would enliven his biographical work. Certainly, I had the easier of the tasks awaiting us. I would gather my information on tape and in my notebook and return to my daily chores. Dimon, on the other hand, would face another week of recovering from having his body filled with toxins designed to kill the tumors afflicting him. As I returned home that afternoon, I thought back to the previously august when we embarked on this project, never suspecting that Dimon would be fighting for his life during the writing of his life’s story. Many supposedly great people falter when set upon by adversity, and the faltering reveals a character devoid of the traits they exhibited when the sailing was smooth. Verifiable great people, though bowed and slowed by adversity, show forth even greater character when the waters become tossed and turned. And they need no false pedestals on which to stand and be admired – they are elevated through their service, their devotion to God, and their love of family and country. That, in a nutshell, is Dimon McFerson.