Today my friend Greg is celebrating his 60th birthday. Why is this such an important occasion to note? Because Greg is no ordinary man. His affability and positivity are an outward aura which camouflages his humble, yet fierce intelligence. He is of Scorpion birth, meaning one can know Greg for years and still not truly know all the hidden facets to his persona. As with most Scorpios, these facets do leak out occasionally, making each missing piece of the puzzle intriguing. This agrees with his Myers-Briggs profile, an introverted intuitive thinker using perception (INTP). They call INTPs the architects of thought and language consistency, probably because they rarely leave their heads. However, they do have an adroit sense of humor which makes up the heavy intellectual overlay. Fortunately, Greg is too self-effacing, humble, and sentient to be arrogant.
Greg and I have never met-he lives about 340 miles north of me. Our relationship is a product of electronic communication. In May, when we first started communicating I was immediately drawn to him by his witty writing, sincerity, and Midwestern demeanor. Having been raised on the western coast of lower Michigan, he embodies the clever dry humor and polite charm of Midwestern civility. This blends well with my Minnesota upbringing. Plus, we both enjoy primarily communicating via writing (although we have spoken on the phone). It is his philosophical style of writing and texting I find so engaging. When I began writing to him I had no idea this pen pal relationship would last. Today I find his daily texts and emails refreshingly novel and fun. There is something special about getting to know someone from writing. These little snippets of his observations, quips, comments, and encouragement make my day.
Greg is the only person I have met that has a personal mission statement. When he shared it with me it was like reading a personal pledge of allegiance to life. This simple but powerful missive gave me the sense of how committed he is to his personal integrity, contributions to his profession, and society. This impressive declaration made me realize how little I have taken my own standing in the world seriously. This is one of the reasons I like Greg-he has these surprising aspects about himself that touch, move, and inspire me.
For as brilliant as Greg is outwardly, personally he is an incredible example of triumph over adversity. As a victor over devastating circumstances, I find his pathos most inspiring. For it is not our accomplishments or laurels that define us, but thriving after eviscerating catastrophic events
which measures our character. Maybe this is what makes him such a terrific life coach.
What else do I like about Greg? He is a creative thinker, a good writer, kind, has a penetrating mind, is curious, likes humor, is respectful, can sometimes be ridiculously bawdy, and I enjoy that he is an introvert as well. He is a unique and special man.
Happy 60 Birthday, Greg. May this be a year of health, prosperity, and happiness.
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