Marathon items

Article 2

Herman Jenkins Dead

They say that every man, woman, and child is wonderful in his or her own way. That is the sort of beautiful idea which comes to mind when remembering the life of Herman Jenkins, because it proves that Herman Jenkins must have been beautiful in his own way. Further, to most of the people who knew Herman Jenkins, that way was particularly elusive, but that does not mean that it did not exist.

One could probably pay Jenkins, who died two days ago, no higher compliment then to say that he was universally loved, but one could almost certainly come up with a compliment which is more truthful. Indeed, if one were to list all of the statements about Jenkins which are more true then that one, the result would fill columns, pages, newspapers, or even entire volumes.

Perhaps the most admirable thing about Jenkins was his desire to do things his way without regard for public opinion. During his lifetime, he behaved in a way which made the people who knew him think that he was obnoxious, egotistical, mean-spirited, cruel, sadistic, and thoroughly vile, but in spite of that he continued to live his life the way he thought best and enjoyed it too. Such integrity is rare these days.

Indeed, this integrity permeated into his personal life. In spite of being married for over sixty years, he is known to have had sexual relations with countless other women completely uninhibited by public opinions on marriage. Therefore, while it is true that he was not loved by many people, he seems to have loved many women himself.

Moreover, he showed nothing but the highest integrity when he did this. While other men who engage in extramarital affairs often prove to be sneaky liars who are dishonest with their wives and their communities, Jenkins was so open and above-board that virtually everyone who lived near him including his wife was well aware of these affairs.

Just as we believe that everything is beautiful in its own way, we believe that everyone is loved by at least one person in the world. That thought is profound when contemplating the life of Herman Jenkins, because it forces one to spend hours pondering who or why that person could possibly be.

In short, almost nobody will particularly miss Herman Jenkins. Not his neighbors, certainly not his wife, and probably not even this author, but it is certain that he will be missed by someone for some bizarre reason. Perhaps a child seeking to file a paternity suit or something like that. And to that someone we offer our most heartfelt condolences.