The summer is just flying by.
It has been a summer of sadness and loss for me as I have lost four not only clients, but people that I considered friends.
I’ve been in this field for most of my adult life. (37 yrs as of August) Over that time I have met a lot of people. Some are clients, some are friends, and some are both. Doing what I do I get the privilege of hearing the story of people’s lives. Some are non-stop adventures and others are mellow “just wanting to get by” types of stories.
I’ve met heroes and villains, ex pro athletes, strippers, fishermen, doctors. Well pretty much everyone.
Everyone of these people has shared their life story with me.
Right now, I would like to take a little time and tell you about four of them.
I met Jim 20 years ago. He and his wife were referred to me by another client. Jim was a retired fireman.
Physically, he was a big man. I think in his day he could have been an offensive lineman. He could come across as gruff and intimidating. When I first met him, he was guarded about his finances. But after getting to know each other, we got to be friends. He loved to challenge me with my recommendations. I would have to prove everything I suggested. Jim also loved to stir the pot. He would mention something that a mutual friend would supposedly tell him and try to get me worked up. It almost worked the first time. But that is my relationship with him. I liked the man and respected how he got through life’s problems. The only thing that was bigger than him was his heart. If a person took the time to look past his tough exterior, they would have seen a kind, caring man.
Kim and I knew each other for about 15 years. I met her through my ex-wife. She did something called “Touch Healing” She had this ability to find what was physically wrong and by touching trigger points, relieve the pain or tightness. I know what you’re thinking, massage. You would be mistaken. I suffer from migraines. She worked with me for about 3 months or three visits. She found a place on my neck and just rested her hand on it. The heat that came out of that spot was intense. After my third visit my migraines eased away. Honestly, I didn’t get another for two years. She was also a pretty good athlete, she skied in the winter and played tennis in the summer. I played with her a few times. To say that she was competitive is an understatement. She was also an accomplished sailor. But what I believe her finest asset was, was empathy. She was a person who really cared about other, and you could feel it every time you spoke to her. She always made you feel that you were the most important person in the room.
John and I go way back from my days at MassMutual. I don’t know how our relationship started, but we were let go about the same time from the company. Over the years we became pretty good friends. I don’t think there was ever a time when we talked that he didn’t ask about my daughters. He was thoughtful in that way. He was also a published author. He published a poetry book as well as a couple of romance novels. John was also an avid bridge player. I know nothing about the game, but from what I heard, he was quite good. He had a dry sense of humor and when he would tease me, it would take a minute to sink in. He was a quiet and thoughtful guy that I like and more importantly respected.
I met Linda about 12 years ago. She was the head bookkeeper at a large fish company. She was not a person for small talk and was very perceptive when it came from investments and money in general. I used to tease her about coming over with me when she retired. She had piercing blue eyes that seemed to look into your very soul. As most people do when we plan for retirement, she did her financial chart with me. In 37 years of this business and the hundreds of charts done with clients, there have only been three that did it right the first time through. She was one of them. I enjoyed my meetings with her and our discussions about the Market and where we thought it would go. She was smart and had the respect of the people in her company and for a woman in a man dominated industry, that is saying a lot.
These people, friends and clients affected my life in one way or another. They enriched me and gave me different perspectives of life that I didn’t necessarily see. They made me feel glad that I chose my profession. I will miss them.