Remembering Four Whose “Jobs” Were More Impactful Than The Task At Hand…

There is the old saying that things come in threes, although i really believe that occurrs only when you don’t put together similar instances after you have seen one. This week there were not three…but four instances where we lost someone, and all of them in various ways remindied me of the song by the late Jimmy Buffett, “It’s my Job.” While one of the four…ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen…may have been a more widely known person, the other three…Steve Mars, Bob Ahrens and Lauren Loose…all lived amazing lives of dedication, inspration and service to others, not for the glory of the bright lights, but it was their job to get things done.

First on my friend Steve Mars. To re-use my Facebook words. There are people who pass in and out of your life and then there are people who stay with you forever, even if you only hear from them now and then. Steve Mars is a forever friend. We worked together not once, but twice, at SportsChannel and then at MSG, and had stayed in touch over the years, especially when he co-launched Empire State ride. a few years ago. Great mission, take a read from when we connected a few years ago.

Then there was Bob Ahrens, who bled Fordham maroon more than the orange of his alma mater Syracuse. Bob mentored hundreds of young people at Fordham’s radio station, WFUV, many of whom who have gone on to amazing careers you know…like Tony Reali, Spero Dedes, Ryan Ruocco and others…but more importantly he helped guide everyone and advocate for the youbng people who felt media was a calling. He was in ill health for quite a while, and sometimes we had our diffferences, but he was a tireless worker to get young people in a position for success and kept beating the WFUV drum for decades. His impact, which was not buzzworthy news, was as loud as anyones who shaped careeers.

The fourth one was someone I had seen, and knew of, but never knew her story until my colleague Wayne Coffey shared it this week. Her name was Lauren Loose, and she was integral piece of a place I know well on Long Beach Island called Compassion Cafe, which is an amazing business that helps and empowers those with disabilities. What I did not know was Lauren’s full story, her impact on people far and wide, and her ability to uplift thse around her, including those around Army football, where her dad was an assistant coach. Read Wayne’s piece here. A life of service lived, and an impact, like the others, that didn;t need the brightest of lights because theirs shown where it was most important

It all reminded me of another instance I had in Madison Square Park a few years ago. There was a man who was homeless washing what was a pretty nasty bruise on his leg, and whistling all the time. I was taken by his upbeatness and went to give him some money as a thank you for showing positivity. He looked up and me smiled and said :Why do you think I need money, take it and give it to a cause, I’m Ok, and my name is the professor, and if you want to do something for me give me a smile and pass the smile along to someone else who needs it.”

Great advice, and a reminder that the little things are so important as we go about our days.

All four, along with The Professor reminded me of “It’s My Job,” which explained so well how people with what we may think are the most menial and toughest of jobs find ways to bring value.

 It’s my job to be different than the rest

and that’s enough reason to go for me

It’s my job to be better than the best

and that’s a tough break for me

It’s my job to be cleaning up this mess

and that’s enough reason to go for me

It’s my job to be better than the best

and that makes the day for me

Now no job…no task…no role…is perfect and the ones we start out doing sometimes don’t get us where we want to go at first, sometimes the path chooses you. But making the best out of what your job is, bringing value and as we have said before Getting Stuff Done while learning and listening along the way can get us through the valleys and over the peaks.

Thanks to this amazing quartet and the inspiration they each provided to so many.

Like “The Professor” they did what they enjoyed and their work…and their acts, were amplified in ways which each would have considered humbling.

We are all lucky to have been in their universe.