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Commentary

In Appreciation of Dr. Ron Walters

By Suzanne Brooks Columnist

I knew him better than he knew me, at least I think I did. His writings provoked me to reflect on the world, on myself, considering whether we were in agreement. It went both ways. There were days I wanted to pick up the phone and ask a question and times I wanted to pick…

September 16, 2010 1 min read Free to read

I knew him better than he knew me, at least I think I did. His writings provoked me to reflect on the world, on myself, considering whether we were in agreement. It went both ways. There were days I wanted to pick up the phone and ask a question and times I wanted to pick an argument.

A couple of times I wrote him somewhere, never sure he got the messages, but not sensing any urgency that would rush me to action so that we could have it out or figure it out. Either way, I learned from him.

Teacher-scholars are models that we think will always be around. So we delay interactions that might have been life changing. Then, in an instant, we face mortality, shocked that our unasked questions will not be answered.

Deeply, we mourn those who mean a lot to us, even if we never say it & they never know.

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