Delma Presley is one.
God I love the man!
In College I took "The Bible As Literature" looking like a Hippy, long hair, sex crazed, rock-n-roller because I was raised Southern Baptist and was therefore incredibly confused.
In contrast, Dr. Presley was square but hip at the same time.
I'd never seen that before and it blew me away.
He was understated in an overwhelming sort of way.
Though I'd won a thousand "Sword Drills," Del taught me how to read ... and how to think ... and want to be hip with the slightest air of "square-ness" about me so I could throw everyone else off.
I'd often wander into his office, find him sitting in a recliner reading ancient texts surrounded by four walls of books and he'd smile ... put away his thoughts ... lay down his book ... and say how delighted he is that I came to see him.
Once Fran ... of the thousand shades of green ... went with me but her feeble little legs wouldn't make it up the stairs so I carried her and Del ... upon seeing our arrival ... jumped up, jerked her from my arms and tenderly placed her in his recliner.
That was a thousand years ago.
So last night, when I read Del's message to me to Sarah ... about his Parkinson's Disease ... his body's not quite as well as it used to be but his mind remains sharp as a tact ... how he loved me as a student when I wasn't really a good one ... how proud he is of me ... I sob.
"Are you crying," Sarah asks?
"Of course," I answer.
She crawls in my lap and hugs me.
I am incredibly thankful I had the balls to say thank you to Dr. Delma Presley and he cares enough to answer ... most people don't do things like this ... which is really what the Bible's all about.
Most people don't have the balls to take the Bible seriously.
It's why religion is so screwed up.
Ah but Delma Presley taught the Bible ... as Literature ... and I've never been the same since.
So Del!
After Sarah loveingly crawled out of my lap, I raised a glass to you ... and thanked you once again ... for everything.
