I have several rules that I try to follow for each breakfast. Number 1 is be on time, which to me means 15 minutes early. Today I showed up 10 minutes late, I think Tim was 10 minutes early. I saw it a little bit this year when John Duvall talked about his teaching. I also saw it in Biloxi when Hayley Kuehner had donations for the food pantry, organized the food pantry buying group, and then had her team load the food pantry. I was not needed. I hope I have this feeling more often. Today, Tim was on it. He was definitely ahead of me. I think he asked better questions than I did, and it was his style and friendliness that guided the whole breakfast. Tim, in just an hour, impressed me very much. It might be time for me to move to the right lane, and let some of the talent of this next generation pass me by.
Tim was the high school quarterback and was the BMOC on the campus of Priory, which has an extra level of adulation as the 7th and 8th graders at the school get to see the older kids, they have their heros. Tim was a good quarterback on good teams and he was always ready to be loud and get his team pumped up. He loved football and being part of that team. As a high school teacher, you often see immature young men make bad decisions and you just kind of wince and sometimes lead them back to the right path, and other times leave them to their own devices so they can figure it out. I am racking my memory and I do not remember a hiccup like this from Tim. He was also very good to the young students who would come up and want to talk to him. In America, it seems a certain percentage of people hate the high school quarterback, sometimes when the kid is a Tom Brady type, the disdain should happen. But there are also the Kurt Warner types who is very real to the person that he is. I think Tim was always real. He was enthusiastic and he loved talking to both the coaching staff and his teammates. This team and this feeling was real to Tim and he loved it. This is what community looks like. Tim also reveled in the idea of team sports as much as anyone I have taught or coached. He was always cheering for Priory to to do better whether it was his team or another one. I also enjoyed the Field Days with Priory students, I was young enough to compete with them, often beating them, in different sports. Tim is one of those guys who always figured out a way to play a sport and come out on top. Tim was not a golfer in high school, but he told me today he is becoming better. He might be one of those guys who keeps learning more and is a better golfer at 48 then he was at 28.
Most of all, Tim Kaufmann is a gamer. There was never any doubt whether we were playing a great team or a not so great team, that Tim would do everything possible to compete, to make his teammates better, and in the end to win. Right now, if I was playing Ultimate Frisbee or Pickleball, I would want Tim on my team, because he would compete whether he knew the sport or not.
I often have to tell my former students that they are adults and they can call me John. Tim greeted me with "Hi, John." and it felt really natural. Tim is in the commercial real estate business and seems to be doing well, but I will tell you right now that Tim is in the people business with a minor in Commercial Real Estate. I do not think it is an accident when the Golf Pro at his club needed someone to play with a Country Music star in town, the golf pro chose Tim. I think right now, I could put Tim in any situation and he would not only make every feel welcome, he would also be in complete control of the meeting.
Holy Cow, I felt like the old veteran who gets passed up by the rookie phenom, but that is the wrong analogy. Tim is the wise veteran and I guess I am an old coach. In passing, Tim mentioned that he was on some sort of charitable board. After being on several boards, I would want Tim on my board, he would definitely bring value to an organization and also be the person at the board meeting who would bring up a salient point or a new solution that no one else had thought about.
I hope like many of these breakfasts that I find ways to continue this and make time for these wonderful people. I feel I could sit down and have a 4 hour conversation with Tim and always be interested in what he is talking about. I also like the fact that Tim talked to me about growing and making sure he is a better version of himself every couple of years. He has a 3 month old now and another kid. He is going to make a great dad and I predict he will be an even better dad in 2028 than he was in 2018.
Tim, just like I was late for breakfast, I might have missed telling you how proud of you I am. I hope we get together soon. Maybe even at a 5K. Ha. Ha.
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