I was going to write my coveted senior column about Matt Calderone and how awesome he is. Seriously. I was going to write about Good Guy Matt and his tremendous success as SGA president – not to mention general domination in all around lifery. Unfortunately, Matt is also writing today, and I fear the column would be received with awkward glances between readers in Starbucks and judgmental comments on the CW online wall. So … just … good job Matt! You’ve represented us well!
On an entirely less awkward note, my inspirational story for the day. Allow me to set the scene.
Two weeks ago, I pulled my studly Toyota Camry into a parking spot at Hotel Capstone and walked across the street for daily Mass at St. Francis Church. I’ve repeated the process once a week for the past four years. Thirty minutes of church, and I’m back at my car. Easy and painless, right? But wait. This particular day, I came out to find my car missing! Towed by the hotel! Towed while I was getting my daily dose of Jesus! True, the lot was lined with signs warning against the very dilemma that had become my newest reality, but who knew they actually followed through with the warning?
Regardless, I was carless and storms were scheduled to hit the area in an hour. Walking up to the hotel, game face on and ready to discover my car’s fate, I was approached by an older gentleman I recognized from church. In a light Southern accent, he asked if I had been towed and informed me that he would be accompanying me inside. Though not towed himself, the gentleman was incredibly upset that I was faced with this inconvenience.
Inside the hotel, my nameless hero took charge of the situation – voiced his frustration to the hotel staff and offered to give me a ride to the impound lot. We made small talk during the 15-minute ride and ultimately arrived – more frustrated than before, as it had begun raining outside. The gentleman declared he would be going inside the company’s office with me – allowing no space for polite protest.
When it was my turn in line, the man again took charge of the situation and asked how much I was in for. Just how much did my church visit cost today? The answer was deafening – $160! $160. I’m no stranger to parking fines, but $160 for a quick visit with the Big Man? The number hurt. As any good Catholic would, I began to consider how much time this would shave off of my stay in Purgatory…. But that’s irrelevant to the story … Before I could react to the teller, my hero pulled two crisp $100 bills out of his wallet, demanded that my visit be cleared from the company’s records and walked outside.
I was floored – surprised that a complete stranger would be willing to spend his afternoon helping me and then pay for my mistake! I immediately rushed outside to thank the man and ask for his name – something I had missed up to that point. The man told me his name was Jim Harrison. I thanked him, and he left.
Telling the story to friends later, I learned just who my hero was. Jim Harrison is a current member and past chairman of the UA President’s Cabinet, former CEO of Harco Inc. (a company of around 200 stores, sold to Rite Aid in 1997), founder of the James Harrison School of Pharmacy at Auburn and recipient of endless awards. They were Celebrating his Achievements before the song was even written!
Mr. Harrison is a philanthropist and an incredibly busy man; however, Mr. Harrison is also the hero of my personal narrative. Despite his busy schedule, Mr. Harrison took the time to help me in a time of need and, consequently, to renew my faith in community and the goodness of others.
Ultimately, this is the story I want to leave behind as I graduate. I want to encourage others to be more like Good Guy Matt – a true servant leader. But even more than that, like Mr. Jim Harrison – my personal hero. To always take the time to positively impact those we meet through our daily interactions.
Michael Forst was the president of the Honors College Assembly.
