Speed is a remarkable man.

He is remarkably intelligent, compassionate, humble, engaged, and engaging.

Once you get him out of his study (cocktail hour is a safe bet), he is eager to have a conversation on any topic, and almost always has some insight that leads me to think a little more deeply, or a little differently, about things.

One thing that I have thought about time and again through the years, is how Speed got together with Connie. She was a mother alone with four young children. Apparently, this didn't dissuade Speed and the couple followed their course. Deeper into the relationship (blended family, jobs, etc.), Connie expressed a desire to become a farmer. She is a very capable woman, so this is not really that outlandish. She somehow sells Speed on the deal and they find a farm in Michigan, move from L.A., and become farmers. Speed now has his consulting job, with a lengthy commute and lots of travel, and has also acquired the, not insubstantial, role of farmer. Now, I love Speed and he has definitely given me some guidance over the years, but the man is an INTELLECTUAL, not a FARMER. Bless his heart, Speed farmed. He dug, plowed, seeded, planted and harvested. There were crops (mainly organic peaches, in the early seventies, in the Midwest), livestock, outbuildings, and children to deal with. It blows me away to think how Speed rose to the occasion and dealt with all of this, while also making a great group of friends and remaining engaged in hobbies. Every time Speed took the tractor out, it would break. He would deal with it, somehow get it working, and go out and break it again. But he did it. He kept at it until the kids were gone, circumstances had changed (Connie had to be in Wayne county for a job), and they "sold the farm".

This is Remarkable!