Kurt Henschen was a guy who worked for the Mutual Broadcasting System when I met him.
He was a radio-guy.
He, like me, went to college and studied communications and then got hooked on radio, and spent a lot of time hanging out and doing stuff for his campus radio station.
He was as serious as they came about what was news and what should or shouldn't be included in a newscast. He was also the first man to smile at me when I was introduced around the Mutual newsroom in Crystal City, Virginia (right across the Potomac from DC.) He was a guy who had been there and done that and I did't know it at the time was busy being a single dad, raising a daughter.
I went to his wake/party tonight at the Red Hot and Blue restaurant in Rosslyn/Arlington, VA.
He died of ALS-Lou Gehrig's disease in Indiana, where his two brothers and sister-in-law moved him, so that he could be close to them when the end came. At the end, all he could move was his left index finger. His daughter, Kristy told a story of how one of the hospice nurses was inspired by Kurt. One night, this nurse went home, and became flustered over misplacing her TV remote control. She was quite peeved, and then she remembered Kurt's quiet patience. For a man to have no control over the muscles that controlled whether he was able to speak, it must have been agony. Radio-guys live and die by their voices. But, then at the end of this man's life, the guy with the welcoming smile, all he could do was patiently move the only muscle he could move, patiently from one button to another---to turn on and off his TV in the hospital room, to push the button to call for help. The flustered nurse cooled down thinking about and being inspired by Kurt.
I'm sure I'll have a pretty stinky day tomorrow and many hundreds of thousands more-that is if I'm lucky.
But, boy was I blessed to have gotten that kind man's smile. That was a blessing.
"Mutual News....I'm Kurt Henschen."
I'm glad I knew you, mister.
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2 comments:
Rita,
I was Googling my dad today and came across this post. It was very moving. I remember meeting you at the wake and am glad you have such fond memories of my father. :) I think he would have got a good laugh out of the fact that his legacy at the nursing home, and beyond, was one of patience and endurance. I think he liked to think of himself as a cantankerous ole' guy, but of course, as you and many can attest, there was much more to him than that. Thank you (beleatedly) for your kind words. Best Regards--Kristine Henschen
Kristine,
It was a pleasure to read your comment.
Sometimes you wonder if anybody sees what you write, or what you've put out there (the world, the web, the airwaves.) I (and I suppose your Dad did too) suffered from an ages old affliction--they do notice what you put out there-truly they do. Your dad put out somethings really wonderful.
Rita
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