Bob the Great

I'm going to take this moment to recognize someone who just made my day. Trinity people will understand who this is, and if you aren't from Trinity, take this moment to learn about a fabulous person. Let me set this up for you:

I was running errands all afternoon after class, very flustered (as usual - I wish that wasn't my default setting during the weeks before exam time), and I finally got home to check my million e-mail messages, only to read that I had to drive back to Trinity's campus (I live in a house a few minutes away) to pick up a book from the English department offices before everyone leaves, usually around 4:30. It was 4:28. Whew. I had to write a large chunk of a paper today, so this was kind of important. So I got back into Remy and zipped back over to school, where I ran (yes, I ran. I was that kid who runs on campus) to get to the faculty secretary's office where the books were waiting for me. I get to the building, run upstairs, knocked on the office door, and alas...

The door was locked. Ugh.

So I'm thinking to myself, "Anna, it's totally fine, you got this...get down what you can on paper...you can get the books tomorrow morning and somehow squeeze in time to work on it before your class...yada yada yada," knowing full well that I really did kind of need them tonight. Enter the hero of the story...

Bob Rice, Dr. Bob Rice. History professor and human being extraordinaire.

I don't even have him in class this semester, but he had noticed that I had knocked on the secretary's door and heard that there was no answer from inside. He took the time to ask me what I needed, and I explained how I had books waiting for me inside the office "but that's totally fine, I'll come back tomorrow morning!" Nope, he wouldn't let me leave without getting those books. He stopped what he was doing to help me out. He knew my name right away, told me he was excited to have me in class next semester (he had already checked and remembered that I was registered for his Russian History class in the spring), and joked that he would not want to be involved with hindering a student's reading. He went back to his office, retrieved his spare key to the office, and unlocked the door for me. I got the books, thanked him obnoxiously, and he smiled and said to have a great week. Now, instead of leaving the building completely frustrated and sans books...

I am loving life. First, I have the books I needed. Secondly, and most importantly, when someone takes a moment to cut through the hustle and bustle to help a sister out, dang it, it just gives you hope for humanity.

Did I mention that Bob Rice is blind? Oh yeah, that too. He did the whole shebang (remembering my name by my voice, my schedule, the keys, the office doors, etc.) like the pro that he is. But that's not the important part. The important part is that I now learned a little lesson that the books I'm reading tonight probably won't teach me. People like Dr. Rice have taught me that people matter and that no matter how busy you are, you always have the time to be kind.