Ron McGill

I don't understand that.

Ron, we are a transient community.

We don't have very many South Florida icons.

And you are somebody who reaches across multiple generations to

as someone who's associated not just with the zoo, but caring and decent to both animals and humans.

There aren't a lot of people like that in South Florida, publicly or privately.

And so I insist that you take this praise and this applause because people will miss you because you cannot be replaced.

There's never been anything like you in the history of this city, and there will never again be anything like you in the history of this city.

You're very kind, Dan.

I really appreciate those words.

I just don't.

you know like i said i carry a chip on my shoulder for a long time because i get a lot of undeserved credit i'm just i tell people i'm a storyteller the story of the people you don't see i know because i used to be one of those people you know the irony of life is that i'm here now i have a nice office i get a very nice paycheck and i work less hard than i did when i was out there with a wheelbarrow and a rake in the rain picking up crap and dumping it in dumpsters and not getting any kind of

recognition for anything when I was in fact doing the work that was making people like me in the office get all the credit that they don't deserve.

And that's kind of a juxtaposition that bothers me.

So it's a hard time for me to accept this praise when really I'm just a storyteller now.

Now, I really appreciate that.

I mean, I really profoundly appreciate the love.

You know, people come up to me and they want to take a picture and stuff.

And people ask me, does it bother you when people do that?

Let me ask you something.