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Victor Genest 1936-2001
A couple of years ago – two years ago this month, to be exact – my high school television production teacher, Victor Genest, died. It had been several years since I had seen him, but we spoke on the phone often and I could always count on finding a Christmas card from him in my mailbox every December. The last time I talked to him, which was about eight months before his death, we made tentative plans to get together for lunch. He left it up to me to decide on a day and time. I kept putting it off for a completely insane reason…I wanted to lose weight first. I figured if I dropped a few pounds, he would be impressed. It became a goal of mine, a goal that was never realized. I waited too long. I never lost the weight. And as I result, I missed my last chance to thank Mr. Genest for being such a great influence in my life. The realization that I could’ve had one last visit with him, and that I gave it up under such ludicrous circumstances, still looms over me to this day. But that is only part of my mission here today. After the events of last September 11th, no one needs to be told to treasure friends and family, and love each day like it was their last. But when tragedy hits close to home, the lesson is renewed. I learned of Paula Querzoli-Smith’s recent death by way of a news report on ABC6. Although I didn’t know her extremely well, I cried as though it had been my best friend in that car. Paula and I had covered the Rehoboth town council meetings together for quite some time, her as a reporter for the Chronicle and I as a videographer for then Inland Cable. The last time I spoke with her was two summers ago in the Bishop Feehan parking lot, where I was helping Peter Gay tape a feature for his morning show. We chatted about the fact that she watched the show, and she asked me what I had been doing since I’d left the cable company. The conversation ended, and I really didn’t think about her again until that fateful report on Channel 6. How many times do we need to be reminded that every moment could be our last? Anyone in your life could be gone tomorrow. But when was the last time that you called an old friend just to say hi, or told someone how much you really care about them? It never sinks in until the name of an accident victim on the news is a familiar one. Or until someone you used to treasure, someone you assumed would be there tomorrow, isn’t. Accidents and illness can’t be prevented, but the regret I feel everyday because I didn’t see Mr. Genest that one last time can. If you want to thank someone, do it. If you love them, say it. You may not have the chance tomorrow.
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