A tie that binds eBay seller, future U.S. citizen
WASHINGTON —Marc Johnson and his wife were cleaning out their closets a few weeks ago in Arlington, Va., when he realized he had too many neckties. So he listed several on eBay.
One of the ties posted by Johnson — a consultant and former CIA agent — had an American flag theme, and he asked for $6.99 for it.
The man who offered the winning bid on it, Jaques Campher, lives in Ohio.
It turned out that Campher had been searching eBay for weeks looking for the perfect tie, and he was sure Johnson’s red, white and blue one was it.
Johnson tweeted: “He said he really wanted it because he wanted to wear it TO HIS SWEARING IN CEREMONY TO BECOME AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.”
When Johnson read the message he paused. “I was like ... I can’t charge him for this,” Johnson said in an interview with The Washington Post.
“I ... just decided to send him the tie gratis,” Johnson tweeted.
Campher, who is from South Africa and is married with a 4-year-old daughter, accepted with gratitude. “I cannot explain how I feel about that,” he said in an interview. “It is a warm feeling.”
His wife, Lindsay Krasinski, 38, explained: “He got weepy when he told me about it.”
Campher said Johnson’s gesture was so meaningful to him that he sent him a triumphant photo of himself wearing the tie at the federal courthouse in Columbus where he took the oath of citizenship.
“I wanted to show him I’m using the tie and it’s great,” he said.
Johnson posted the photo on Twitter — and thousands of people responded, many in tears.
Johnson said he’s been surprised by all the social media attention, but he thought perhaps it touched a nerve of patriotism.