Goodbye Charlie
Let’s face it, the last three weeks have been incredible. Government bailouts, the highs and lows (mostly lows) of the stock market, against the backdrop of an increasingly intense and bitter campaign have raised the fear and anxieties of people throughout this country. Amidst all this news I received the following note:
“At 4 pm, October 16, 2008, Charles Edward “Tremendous” Jones triumphantly entered the gates of Heaven. With family at his side, we could only imagine the joy that he experienced and who he greeted first!”
Charlie was a friend and mentor. While the news of someone’s death is accompanied with feelings of sadness, I dare say that anyone who knew Charlie couldn’t help but smile and give thanks for the privilege of knowing one of God’s special creations. You can Google “Charlie Tremendous Jones” to learn more about his life.
The way Charlie lived his life provided lessons that we can use in these uncertain times. The first lesson Charlie lived was this: He loved God and he loved people. His rock solid faith in God was reflected in how he treated others. In his first book, “Life Is Tremendous,” Charlie talked about how he came to faith, his approach to living life, and the fact that he loved to hug people when he greeted them. I was skeptical about the hugging people part until almost thirty years later when I first met Charlie and he enveloped me in a giant bear hug. I had never experienced a hug like that, but what made it truly special was when Charlie whispered positive affirmations in my ear as he was hugging me.
Last week in my talk at the annual CSCMP conference, I noted that some people are suffering from a (as yet to be) clinically diagnosed disorder; it’s called CLDD, or Chronic Love Deficit Disorder. Truth be told, the world is a lonely place for far too many people and when a crisis occurs – as it has the last couple of weeks - a lot of people are left wondering: “Where do I go and who do I turn to?” Charlie had the answers to those questions.
The second lesson Charlie practiced was the value of a positive attitude and having an indefatigable spirit. Charlie had lots of quotes. For example, he would say things like: "Things don’t go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be." Or, "No one is a failure until they blame somebody else." This week I was at a meeting with other CEO’s and Presidents and after the pleasantries where exchanged, the “how’s business” questions were asked. The mood was somber about what the future holds. Charlie believed that a positive attitude and perseverance will see you through the crisis.
Finally, Charlie passionately believed in the value of good books and the need for continuous self improvement. As one of the most gifted speakers of his generation, Charlie would say during his talks: “Who you are five years from now will be influenced by the people you meet and the books you read,” and then he would pick up a book and kiss the cover. People chuckled but they understood his point: Books contain lessons from the past that can be extremely useful in making sense of current and future events. In listening to the experts talk about the current crisis, as a student of history and as an avid reader, Charlie always had a perspective that was calming and reassuring.
One final Charlie story. Periodically I would call up Charlie to get a verbal “hug.” He would always greet me (with an enthusiastic voice) “Tremendous Mike,” and then ask a question. Last year I had a visitor in my office who was discouraged. My attempt to encourage him was going nowhere so he agreed to let me call this guy who was battling cancer and should have died years ago. I put Charlie on the speaker phone. Within a minute, my visitor was smiling and laughing as Charlie gave us one of his patented pep talks. Then Charlie talked about the incredible lessons that God was teaching him and how wonderful everyone was treating him. When I told him I’d be praying for him, he said in a booming voice: “That’s my problem! I’ve got too many of you guys praying for me. I want to get home and you’re keeping me here!” At the end of the conversation we had tears in our eyes because we were laughing so hard.
If you’re interested in seeing what I believe is Charlie’s last interview, you can go to this link, http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0708/537950_video.html?ref=newsstory. Charlie’s booming voice had been reduced to a whisper as the cancer which should have claimed his live many years ago, finally caught up to him. Charlie brought a lot of laughs and tears of joy into a lot of people’s lives. The lessons that Charlie lived can help anyone get through these uncertain times. Thanks for living a Tremendous and faithful life Charlie.
