GREG GONZALEZ A YEAR LATER

 We were pondering what to write this morning when a comment arrived and solved our problem. 

And while you enjoy this and remember our colleague, we throw out there that as we continue our sabbatical we have finally stepped up to remedy a long-time deficiency in our consumption of classic literature and engaged on the journey of reading the 1000+ page Brothers Karamazov.  (For our 30-somethings and robed readers, perhaps there is a two-minute summary on Tik Tok you can watch). 

Myles Raucher commented on "GREG GONZALEZ"

I've been out of the loop for a long time and not following events or keeping in touch so it feels so odd to post a comment a year after Gregg's death. 

Some folks thought Gregg was contributing so much time to Veteran Treatment Court because he wanted to be a Judge and impress Governor Desantis. When he told me this we both burst out laughing simultaneously. We couldn't stop laughing as we fed off one another. 

It was funny to the both of us because it represents the divide between those who see banal self interest as the primary motivation and those who recognize a duty to our fellow vets. 

I was the PD Veteran Court attorney for three years, a former Air Force guy. Gregg did some unorthodox and madcap stuff helping out vets like letting one live with him for weeks and buying a sax for another. 

Sometimes he recruited me in evening searches for the clients missing in action [failure to appear in court]. He wouldn't let them fail or allow them to be sucked into the gritty Miami asphalt.

Gregg had a different vision from the bulk of humanity. Whenever he performed another of his acts of anonymous assistance to a vet on a random day without self promotion I would say: "So Gregg. You're trying to impress the Governor." And we would guffaw wildly. 

Gregg was respected by the vets in VTC. That says a lot. When a fellow Vet respects you, its earned, deep, and heartfelt. Its not a cheap respect but a recognition of successfully performing the mission. 

There are more stories I could tell. But its not necessary. From the compassionate comments, I think folks know what a special soul Gregg was.

Thank you for this.