His name was Mike Johnson, and he made us laugh, oh did he make us laugh. When I entered his presence, he would bark, "Enkoff" in his scruffy voice. I rarely saw him without a shirt and tie and even a jacket on, and yet, he was really a hillbilly at heart. He was the director of Admissions and I was one of those "callers of prospective students" (you know, the ones you hang up on or lie to and say the student is not at home). He was so encouraging and fun that he made hard work something we looked forward to rather than a chore. He valued all of us, no matter where we had come from, what we looked like, or who we knew. I learned a lot from Mike about how to treat the people you're leading....to build them up, to encourage their gifts, to be excited about their success, to be sensitive to pain and hurt in their lives, to say you're sorry (and mean it!) when you screw up.
The world is different because of Mike Johnson...I am different because of Mike Johnson. Although I haven't talked to him in over 10 years (except for that we had just become facebook friends!!), part of who I am today is because of his influence in my life.
Oh, that we would notice the pain and hurt in the people around us.
Feeling sad and heavy,
3 comments:
Well stated, my friend. May God continue to use his life and legacy in wonderful ways.
I know I'll be looking into my friend's eyes a little longer and listening a bit closer now. We never really know what others are going through unless we take the time and ask.
Beautifully written.
Hillbilly is right! :)
And your lessons from the Admissions office are so true... he did make even the phone-a-thons and tough cold calls bearable.
I've been pondering the same questions and having the same thoughts. So sad.
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