Scott and I worked together for nearly 10 years before we first met, neither of us aware of the others history. It was the sort of serendipity that creates an immediate interest and a lasting fellowship.
As professional relationships in small companies often go, our conversations would skip and meander to past glories, obstacles overcome, anecdotes and common acquaintances. We both became astonished at how close our careers had come to overlapping for nearly a decade, once by missing each other by about 3 months.
We met for the first time just about 5 years ago.
We had worked at or for the same companies 4 times and had worked on the exact same drug compounds and trials at different points in their life cycle. It was too much to be coincidence, we are blessed to work in a small and intimate industry, but this was something a bit more than coincidence.
We both enjoyed sharing stories of our kids and families.
Poor Scott once got stuck with me in an airport, we were headed separate places but had traveled to the airport together. My flight was only delayed about and hour and a half. His was delayed something like 6 hours. Anyway, he asked if I minded keeping him company…after having worked together for about a year it was only the second time we had met in person, so it was a nice chance to just visit.
I don’t remember anything of our chat. I suspect we laughed a bit, probably had an awkward silence at some point.
But I do remember feeling accepted and friendly and a peer; those are pretty special feelings when in such warming company. The 90 minutes passed completely uneventfully, we exchanged pleasant ‘good-byes’ I boarded my plane and went home.
Two days later Scott and I were on the phone discussing some work items and I thought to ask what time he finally got home the other night. He told me a time but it didn’t register…seemed off. “Wait – did you end up on another flight” …he says, ‘no, after you left I went and rented a car and drove home’. From SF to Santa Barbara….I immediately realized Scott hadn’t needed any company, it was a ruse to see that I wasn’t left alone on just my second trip with a new company and what for him was a throw away decision, has stuck with me for years as a selfless act of genuine humanity.
And that’s the coolest thing about a guy like Scott – souls of pure intent such as his cannot appreciate the impact of their generosity and kindness because to them it was just what he wanted to do anyway – changing lives by touching lives.
A compelling thought for a man who also worked tirelessly saving the lives of many, many patients he was never going to meet.
I am incredibly jealous of those of you that knew Scott so deeply, knew him longer than me. I am jealous, but also grateful. I enjoyed a rich friendship and an unlikely comradery for two gents that lived half a continent from one another, separated also by half a generation. Yet bonding over perhaps the two things we both seemed to hold dear. Family. And a desire to give patients hope for a better tomorrow.
I will miss my friend,
Josh
