I've had the good fortune to meet most of my heroes. And I'm not talking people I idolize; there's no room for anyone like that in my life. These are people who came before me and paved the way so that my journey might be a bit easier. And some would call it luck, but I remember a lot of other people who were there too and who didn't act to get my kind of luck. This was one of those times.
We were in a hotel in New Jersey of all places and Bob had just finished his hour long talk. The room let out and 3,500 of us spilled out of the room and lined up for the elevators to head up to ours rooms. And then there was Bob; he was such a legend that no one approached him as he hobbled toward the elevators and leaned on a planter to wait his turn. I saw he was having trouble walking and he had been bouncing around the stage for the last hour entertaining us. I fought through the crowd to get to Bob.
Me: I'm Craig. It looks like you're having trouble there.
Bob: I lost my knees back in my 40s. Professional baseball will do that to you.
Me: It'll take you over an hour to get up to your room. Can you make it up a flight of stairs?
Bob: What the hell kind of question is that. Of course I can. I just can't walk up to the 19th floor.
Me: You just need to make it up one flight. Let's go.
I grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowd and headed for the staircase which was on the other side of the elevators. I helped him up one flight of stairs and we headed to the elevator on the second floor...and I pushed the down button. We got into and empty elevator. It reached the ground floor, those waiting piled in, and we went up with them. And in about two minutes, he was back in his room.
Bob: I like the way you think. You helped me and now I want to help you. Have lunch with me and my wife.
Luck is best defined as Labor Under Correct Knowledge; and some would say I've always been lucky.
