If you are lucky you have people in your life that make you smile just by showing up. Not a clown or a freak but someone whose mere presence cracks your face. I was graced by one of the best passing through my life and I am a better man because I knew him. Kenny Tessler taught me something without knowing, but I use it to this day; care about the person you’re talking to. It’s actually a very simple concept. If you ask someone a question, give a shit about the answer. The way Kenny showed me this trick was by maintaining eye contact after asking me how I was. It sounds stupid but pay attention next time you see adults interacting with kids. A little attention goes a long way.
I loved to talk to him because when he was sitting across from you the words coming out of your mouth were the most important thing in the room. This meant more to me in high school than he would ever know. I’m having more trouble writing this than I thought I would so I’m just going to quit. If you haven’t already guessed Kenny recently passed away. I was lucky enough to be able to interact with him before things got really bad. I sat and talked to him at a party for almost three hours and it was great. Everyone kept telling him to leave me alone and I know they all thought it was weird that I kept listening to the same old stories over and over but I was giving him the same respect he showed me twenty years ago. I loved Kenny and I will miss him.
2:30:41 PM 
|
