It’s possible that everyone has met a Bob in their lifetime. I’m certain that many women are, or were once, married, to a man by that name.
Like the majority, I have had the pleasure of being associated with someone named Bob. In fact, I've known a couple of them.
One of them, Bob A, passed a few years ago. I worked with him for many years in a giant corporation. Bob worked in the IT department and he was the one who always came to my rescue when I needed help with my office computer or software.
Bob A was very educated on his field, making sure that he not only fixed the problem, but invested time discussing what caused the malfunction and what was done to resolve the issue. Many associates in the company didn’t appreciate that side of Bob A. People were always in a big rush. For them if the computer problem could be fixed, they didn’t want to hear why the problem happened in the first place.
Bob A wasn’t just a great IT professional, he was an efficient handyman. Because I had known him for many years, I could talk to him about anything. One time I needed to replace a hose under my bathroom sink. I didn’t want to call a plumber because I knew it was a simple problem that even I could fix myself. In addition, the plumber's fee was a big turnoff! Bob A not only explained how it needed to be done and what hose to purchase, he drew a professionally looking diagram of the installation. To this day I have kept that piece of paper where he laid out the plan. After he died, I was tempted to give that paper to Sue (Bob A’s widow), but decided to keep it. I wanted something of Bob to remind me of him. Someday I might even put it in a nice frame and hang it on my wall.
Although Bob A's demise came unexpectedly, I might have been given a divine hint. Years ago I was in a mortuary parlor for our mutual friend's deceased mother's funeral when I saw Bob A come out of the car. As he stood on the parking lot, he had a glow about him. Just picture a winged creature all aglow and that's how Bob A's image stuck in my memory. At that time I didn't make anything of it, but when he died some months later, I couldn't help but connect the dots.
Then there’s Bob O, a really smart guy I worked with for a few years. The short time we spent as work associates was of no consequence because we managed to keep in touch. He tried to lure me into getting a job at his new company, but I was too loyal to my employer to even think about it. This year after I learned that my job was on the chopping block at the end of this past August, I sent Bob O an e-mail telling him that my commitment to my employer was coming to an end. I was hoping that there would still be a position I could apply for in his organization. He responded and told me that the company went under a few years ago, but that good things had happened to him since he left it. He’s now the owner of a company!
Unfortunately, Bob O’s organization is based in another state. Although there is a job I could have there, I wasn’t planning to leave my neck of the woods any time soon. Nevertheless, Bob O reminded me why he was special to me. When we got to chat on the telephone, he said: “Please use me as a reference. I can’t wait to tell them all the good things why they should hire you.” He might have said it just to make me feel good about my unemployed situation. Nevertheless, I really appreciated that despite now running his own company, he has remained the same humble and unassuming Bob O of a few years ago.
Yes, I’ve known a couple of Bobs. Bob A was, and Bob O continues to be, a blessing in my life. Thank God for Bobs!
