Dag nabbit. I wish I could "like" these posts in here....great post Greg....
Dag nabbit. I wish I could "like" these posts in here....great post Greg....
Rodney, keep doing what you always have, he would want that.When you think of him as I do everyday smile and remember the way he made us laugh, the way he always had our backs, the way he lived through our works as well. He was an amazing man and we where all blessed to have him in our lives if even for a little while. I learned a lot from him, and he learned some from me, and I will always cherish his memories and smile when I think of him or talk about him, and I do.
Great post Larry, it's things like that that are what I am talking about.During the past year or so that I knew Kevin, there were several phone conversations regarding some of my projects, especially during the week or so that he gave me hell for a sloppy job that I did on a red mallee bowl......seems like there were some scraper marks on the bottom that really showed up on my pictures, the way the light reflected....I responded a week or so later, AFTER I had rechucked the bowl and cleaned up my mistakes. He took the time to call, and compliment on the bowl, and even apologized for being "so rough on me".......I told him no apology was need, as it was my mistake, and I owned it.....we had a good laugh , and a few weeks later, he was gone......he was a friend. I miss him also..
Larry
During the past year or so that I knew Kevin, there were several phone conversations regarding some of my projects, especially during the week or so that he gave me hell for a sloppy job that I did on a red mallee bowl......seems like there were some scraper marks on the bottom that really showed up on my pictures, the way the light reflected....I responded a week or so later, AFTER I had rechucked the bowl and cleaned up my mistakes. He took the time to call, and compliment on the bowl, and even apologized for being "so rough on me".......I told him no apology was need, as it was my mistake, and I owned it.....we had a good laugh , and a few weeks later, he was gone......he was a friend. I miss him also..
Larry
One thing he did for me that I couldn't get over... Before I bought my CNC, I was on the fence as to whether I wanted a CNC or a Band Mill. I sent him a link to a woodmizer that I found locally and asked his opinion of it. He called me a little bit later to tell me he'd talked to the guy about it, and while it was an ok deal, it wasn't anything to write home about. Ultimately, I ended up passing on it, bought my CNC, and have created a nice business out of it. I can't help but think Kevin played a significant role in that. Had I not had him to look up to and know what questions to ask, I may have ended up buying that mill. At this point, I'd probably have quite a bit of nice green lumber that I couldn't do anything with, maybe a few paid jobs, but nothing like what I have now because of the CNC. He was one heck of a friend.I think one of the things that endear Kevin to us is the way he made everyone feel singularly special. When I joined, he called me after I'd been on about a week. We spent about 45 minutes on the phone just BS'ing. I hung up and thought, " He wants some Mesquite from me, that's why he did that". After a not too long time, I realized that wasn't the case, he was just a genuinely good guy. He made us all feel like part of a family and special in our own way. I still am grateful to be a part of this group and still enjoy the heck out of it, but it isn't the same. Y'all are still family to me, but a crucial member is gone.
Marc, I agree, his honesty was always something that I admired, and something that I think we shared.
David, great post, and wood barter will continue to be a great place and community, not just because of myself or my other fellow mods and staff that interacted with him, but because he did that with so many people here. Wood barter will go on and continue to be a family and a place with great members that help each other, teach each other, and look out for each other, it's the members that have made this place what it is under Kevin's watchful eye. The mods and staff will continue what he started in his honor because it is important to us too. We love this place as much as everyone else does.
Tony, you are right as well, It wasn't that he just had a way of making a person feel special, he genuinely saw things in people that he admired, he saw something in all of us. He told me things he saw about me that really got to me and choked me up. He just did that.
Jonathan, again it is Kevin's honesty that so many people admired. he was honest with you and told you exactly what you need to hear without telling you what to do.
Everyone think about this..........people come into our lives and people go sometimes. I truly believe they come into our lives when we need them or they have something to give to us that we may not have even known we needed. All of us where blessed with Kevin in one way or another and our lives where made better because of him. Rejoice in that, never forget him, do not be sad because he is gone because he really isn't, he is in each and every one of us in one way or another. I will never forget him, I will honor him, and I will smile when I think about him or talk about him. He was my friend, my brother, my mentor in many ways, and a man I looked up to and respected and that doesn't happen very often. I am better for having known him and I know he felt the same about us. When I am working with my hands now I wonder if he is watching me and hoping that he is, I continue to do the things I have always loved to do and maybe with a little more fervor trying to get as much completed in a day as I can so that I can get back to enjoying my shops. He would want us to continue our lives in every way. I live for today more than ever like it might be my last because we never know if it is. I will continue to try and take care of myself better, a thing that Kevin and I talked about between us and why at his urging I started the nutrition and training thread. The reality of Kevin's passing has made these things more clear to me as I'm sure it has to a lot of us older members. So I guess he continues to influence me so he is not really gone is he? He said to me often that I was inspiring, that always got to me, and really it is he that inspired me, and still does.
Excellent post!
Rodney, keep doing what you always have, he would want that.When you think of him as I do everyday smile and remember the way he made us laugh, the way he always had our backs, the way he lived through our works as well. He was an amazing man and we where all blessed to have him in our lives if even for a little while. I learned a lot from him, and he learned some from me, and I will always cherish his memories and smile when I think of him or talk about him, and I do.
Don't stay away, that's not fair to you, or us, Kevin wouldn't want that. We all need to cary on as we always have, in his honor and for us.well said my friend its so hard to come on here anymore knowing our guru is not on the other end I deeply miss our dear friend . very sad times for me and I know all of you. it makes all our problems so dam small.
well said my friend its so hard to come on here anymore knowing our guru is not on the other end I deeply miss our dear friend . very sad times for me and I know all of you. it makes all our problems so dam small.