Stud of the Month - April 2013

When I started working at my job my co-worker, Sarah, made the comment, "Oh Charlie, you will grow to know and love him." She had been working with him for over a year.

I struck me as remarkable that she could be so certain about this fact.  I remember thinking about it a lot that day.  What if I didn't end up thinking he was so great?  It really said a lot about this guy that she could even make a comment like that.  And it made me quite curious about this Charlie guy.

My co-worker, Andrew, also had amazing things to say about him.  To Andrew, Charlie was a mystery to be thoroughly enjoyed.  Charlie owned half of St. Louis.  Charlie might be a spy, we couldn't be sure.  Charlie never talked about himself.  Charlie could do anything.  One day, the office desk broke.  Charlie took it home and brought it back the next day all fixed.  Charlie's talents and unpredictable abilities were boundless.

It seemed the only person who didn't like Charlie was Andrew's girlfriend.  That was because she got sick of hearing about him all the time, Charlie this and Charlie that. 

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On my second day in the office I had to use Charlie's desk.  His screen saver was...unique with cartoon characters.  The picture on the wall, unique. 

Then I had to open his desk drawer.  I laughed to myself as I sifted through measuring tapes, screw drivers and exacto knives to find the post-its I needed. Later that afternoon, I noticed a framed picture - of a tractor.  I found this especially odd when I noticed that there were dusty pictures of two little girls in a cup which, interestingly enough, had a design of little tools all over it.

Did I mention that we are lawyers?

Charlie was hard to get to know.  He was always in a good mood, very funny.  There were little, tiny clues here and there about his personal life, but not much. He let on one day after several months of working with him that he lived in England.  This was the first clue he dropped.  I learned indirectly that he had a girlfriend.  When she came to visit he introduced her as his friend, much to her dismay. 

I never could figure out how he had time for a girlfriend.  There were so many nights those first few months after the fourth attorney quit that we were the only ones left in the office working till late in the night to get all the work done.  I respected the fact that he was a worker, like me.  When Charlie and I worked Saturdays, the office was incredibly quiet. Charlie isn't one for much conversation, and we were both so focused on the work.  We both plowed away at everything we had to get done and then headed home late in the afternoon. 

Despite the fact that Charlie is an enigma, Sarah's prediction turned out to be true.  There are only three of us left working in the office besides him, but all of us think the world of Charlie.  I think we would all agree that we'd do just about anything for him.

First, Charlie is not lazy.  When it comes to digging in and doing the dirty work, Charlie will do it.  He never purposely dumps a load on you. I've had this happen plenty of times with other co-workers but never Charlie.  I'll admit that in my less awesome moments I've tried to shirk the weightier work.  Not Charlie.  He is a tremendous team player.  He almost always volunteer to take the harder cases just because he is THAT kind of guy.  He is the kind of person who is the first one there, and the last to leave.  I've seen him come to work when he could hardly breathe due to a terrible cold, or move, due to over exertion on the rugby field.  Rain or shine, I've never seen him take a sick day, even if one was more than merited. 

Second, Charlie genuinely cares about everybody.  The clients, us, his father, his friends.  It took a long time to see how much he really does care, and to be honest, it is incredibly inspiring.  It really is. 

He loves his dad unquestionably.  That is the one Charlie fact that is quite certain. 

He literally does go above and beyond for the clients.  He was telling me the other day how he found a client a job.  Really?  I don't know anyone else who would do that.  But Charlie does, because he cares. 

If I have a problem, he'll work on getting it resolved.  This goes for both my work problems, and otherwise.  When my car died, who was here looking at it to see if it could be fixed?  Charlie.  When my brakes were dying, who took time out of his insanely busy schedule...even though he really, really didn't have time to do it?  Charlie.  He even texted me super late to tell me he had a coupon and then went to the store with me to get the parts.  That's just my experience.  He does the same for everyone:  the lady at the front desk (he gave her a Christmas present/get well gift when she had cancer...I, on the other hand, had no idea she had cancer despite seeing her every morning), the night shift security guard (Charlie gave him a Christmas gift last year, they are chums), he knows the name of the janitor (which, shamefully, I cannot remember despite being told a few times by Charlie).  He always takes care of the paralegals, too.

Third, Charlie is so, so funny - all the time. He is silly in a way that I struggle relating to, but he is the guy who is going to throw on the Italian or Russian accent and make light of everything ridiculous.  Honestly, he is soooo funny.  One day I was in my office giggling after receiving a message from Charlie when Andrew came in to my office.  The ensuing conversation:

Andrew: "Talking to Charlie, huh?"

Me:  "Yeah, how did you know?"

Andrew:  "Why else would you be sitting in your office laughing?"

Fourth, after working with him for almost a year, I discovered that he was a boy scout - and I probably only figured that out deductively.  I had spent the weekend with friends at a scout camp.  I was talking about my weekend and Charlie mentioned that he had spent a lot of time there in the past.  I asked if he was a scout and then it clicked, "You are an eagle scout, aren't you?!?" Of course he is.  He's Charlie. 

Fifth, on the rare, rare occasions Charlie is gone from work, I usually later discover an incredible reason.  That is one of my marks for people I deem as amazing.  You later discover that their motives and actions are 10x better than expected.  So, a few weeks ago Charlie was gone for a remarkably long time - for Charlie, anyway.  Andrew had no idea where he was.  None of us did.  Later on I met another friend of his, which only by asking questions did I discover was a fellow scout.  Turns out, that day Charlie was gone when we could not figure out where he was - he was visiting an old scout friend who was about to pass away.  In true Charlie style, he never revealed it - just quietly went about his way and I only deductively figured it out.  I just love people like that.

And as usual with my SOTM's, this is just the tip of a very amazing iceberg.  I could write so, so  much more, and if you asked me about him I could talk your ear off for hours about the amazingness of Charlie.  It has truly been an honor and a privilege to work with him.  I can honestly say I'm a better person for it. 

I understand Sarah's predictive remarks with so much more clarity now.  And to be quite honest, I'd probably make the very same remark to a future co-worker.  You will grow to know and love him.