Mark the Great

Memories from classmate
My name is George Robertson and I was in 6th through 12th grades with Mark. The friendships that are made in Middle/Jr. High school gym class are sort of like the bonds between soldiers in combat. lt was so much fun for all of us boys, entertaining ourselves as we waited for our turn in roll call being way down at the end of the line, and Mark had such a great sense of humor, both as a contributor and appreciating others attempts. Many of us still call him “Macho Mark” because he sometimes wore a yellow shirt with the word “Macho” emblazoned on the front.

We ran against each other for a student office one time and each of us were to give a speech to the student body. I gave my little spiel titled “Vote for Me!” for a few minutes and then it was Marks turn. He got up and said, “I think George would do a good job and you should all vote for him” and sat down. I lost (I don’t think I had a chance anyway), but did not and could not feel bad at all.

There is the “Horse Whisperer” and then the “Dog Whisperer.” Mark is a “People Whisperer.” He knows how to make everybody feel good, and to treat people with respect and not be judgmental or critical. He inspires me to do better and gives hope that I can. Like the guy in the Bible, he received five talents and returned ten. He knows instinctively how to cultivate joy and it spreads all around. I sometimes have a hard time getting along with people, but can always get along well with Mark because of the way he is. The fictional sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” could not match the reality of “Everybody Loves Mark.” Dale Carnegie could add a few more chapters to “How to Win Friends and Influence People” or even rewrite the book if he observed Mark for a few days. I think we could all claim the privilege of Best Friends Forever, as he made us all feel like we were his best friend, and he would be happy to be so.