Monday, August 31, 2009

A New Englander's reflections on Senator Kennedy


Now back to work on Monday....,Yeah man
note:A very good friend of mine wrote today with a reflection on the death of Senator Kennedy and his experiences working for the family. BP

Hello Wilhelm,
Funny how this being a New Englander has such a profound effect on me… Ted Kennedy passes on, and I am all freaked out about it…... 47 years in the senate….WOW that makes us 7 yrs. old when he elected...….
I did a whole bunch of landscaping work and had my brother do carpenter work at the home of the older one, Ted Jr. Funny how these things have an effect on you. I never ever brought up politics with them but….when they did I was always taken back by their genuine compassion for the little guy..It truly is very real with them. They really do truly care for lack of a better word for those who cannot care for themselves …
As I got to know them as much as a "contractor" could I noted a few things…. They are a very close family and they are the stereotypical New England privileged elite clan…"the liberal elite" …very wealthy…money was never an object…. (Joe did well) I met son number two Patrick the congressman from Rhode Island he is a very genuinely a nice guy that you can talk to…. really…I met Kara a sister again very nice genuine people… It is weird to witness such a thing for me… they are The Kennedys…..for the most part ….they know.. it but they don't ever flaunt it…As it was explained to me it is sometimes a real curse…I can see that.
As I watched that whole Kennedy gang on national television this past weekend their sorrow is the nations sorrow. Because Ted Kennedy was besides being a national figure a father, grandfather, uncle etc…he was a real person with faults…like most of us... Most people do not see that…. I cannot tell you how many times when I was dealing with them when the "Senator" would call or have something delivered to his grandchildren….(they are big on having shit delivered)…lots of stuff….. But most people do not see beyond the public persona…
Anyway…after Saturday’s hoopla when four presidents were in attendance in Boston.. I had to take my daughter and her stuff back to school it was quiet, to quiet. I have been to Basstinn quite a few times never have I gone there when there was hardly any traffic.. Almost ghost towns like. weird…but nice after Saturday’s rain. Up and back before 4 pm that is a good thing…we would have got back sooner but there was a red sox game and we got caught up in that traffic on the way back.
Now back to work on Monday….yeah man….

1 comment:

  1. This was an interesting post. Until a few years ago, I took Ted Kennedy for granted. I was unaware of and uninterested in his important contributions to social legislation. Now I've gotten wise to the man behind the hokey "Lion of the Senate" moniker, and I appreciate all the work he did.

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