I'm not sure any of this will be considered coherent thought but I decided I should try.
I first met Bob and Diana in the Magic Kingdom on the corner by Casey's...where the tip board is located.
John had been living with Bob and Diana when we met. He told me that these folks were "like family to him" and that it was important that I got to know them. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. These folks had been friends and co-workers with John and Pete and here I was...the new guy.
I dont ever remember any time in my life when I felt so welcome or accepted. Bob said to me that "if John thinks you're ok...then so do we." They became friends that night. That was in the fall of 2001.
Bob and I quickly fell into the routine of him mispronouncing things and me correcting him. It got to the point where he would do things just to make me roll my eyes and suck my teeth. It became a part of who we were. He loved it.
A lot of time transpired between those days and the beginning of the podcast but Bob and Diana, along with Ann and Majk (it's pronounced Mike....and yes....we've used every conceivable line on him because of this) and John and I, well...we became a rather tight knit social group. We had dinner together at least once a week. We spent holidays together. We traveled together. There is no other way to say it then to say we were best friends. These were the folks that we
chose to spend our time with.
Bob loved planning our weekly get togethers and outings. We used to rib him about "synchronizing our watches". If we were going someplace new of different, Bob would get there hours early (sometimes the day before) and then call us with the best directions and where to park and what not to miss. And yes....I used to tease him about that...but that was part of who Bob and I were.
One of my very favorite Bob memories is of the Candlelight Processional. Bob's Mom was very old and frail and not in the best health. She had moments of lucidity but they were few and far between. Well, she sat there watching that show and singing her heart out. She knew the words to almost every song. I sat next to Bob and his Mom and watched Bob watch her with tears in his eyes. He was so kind and gentle and loving. I was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.
Bob's Mom passed during that next year and he told me that the Candlelight Processional was going to be really hard this year. I sat next to Bob at the next Candlelight show and the two of us sang along with tears in our eyes. He thanks me for understanding and being ok with it.
Bob was the kind of guy that offered whatever he could do or had. John and I live about an hour away from Bob
abd Diana. The airport is in between our two homes. When John and I would travel, Bob would offer to take us to the airport. He would open his home to anyone that needed a place to stay. Bob loved nothing more than a house full of people.
When we started doing the Round Table version of the podcast, it took a while but we all fell into being ourselves. We all agreed that the only way to do this was with sincerity and honesty.
I have been criticized for "picking on" Bob, but we were who we were in real life. I dont know if anyone will understand this, but Bob loved that we picked on him. He would set up situations with glee and warn me..."this is really going to get you". Bob loved nothing more than making me crazy. It was never malicious or hurtful and if I thought it was I would have never done it.
I would never do anything to intentionally hurt Bob. He was one of my best friends and one of the warmest, kindest nicest men I have ever known.
Bob also loved the attention and spotlight that this allowed him. It was part of why he encouraged it. We used to joke that he had "only child syndrome". It's why we used to tease him about only reading emails that had his name in them.
Bob also loved meeting the folks that listened to the podcast. He put Christmas lights on his "kaht" so folks could find him. He loved making people laugh and he loved helping people enjoy their Disney trips. Bob spent more time in the parks then any of us and he'd come to the podcast letting us know that he met so and so and that he posed for pictures. And yes....we'd tease him with him grinning the entire time.
I'm sharing this today out of my need to let you all know that Bob loved that you all cared about him and loved him. It brought him incredible joy. He'd recount meeting listeners with absolute glee.
I dont know any other words to explain this, but I loved Bob. While life will go and we will move ahead, our lives will be a little less full. There will always be a hole that cant be filled. He is truly irreplaceable.
I think the very best way to honor Bob is to make sure that you tell the people in your life that you love them and what they mean to you. Dont miss the opportunity.
I talked to Bob yesterday morning at about 10:15am. I called to ask how he was feeling and if he needed anything. He told me was ok and feeling better.
I'd give anything to have that chance again.
Dont wait. Tell them.
Thanks for letting me talk about this.
Kevin
