A Remembrance of Robert J. Kiefer (1954-2013), or as I knew him, "Mr. Kiefer"

I was surprised and saddened to learn of the death of my long-time neighbor, Mr. Kiefer, this past Thursday. A constant feature of the neighborhood all through my youth and young adulthood, his absence has proven readily apparent, and even now I cannot believe he is gone. He was 59.

Strange to think that as a youngster, I found Mr. Kiefer rather frightening. Perhaps it was his great size or his powerful voice, but whenever I used to head over to play with my friends Mark, Brett, Wade, and Jason, I tended to avoid their dad if I could.

Such avoidance seems silly now, as many of my memories include him doting on Ashes, the family cat, or putting out peanuts for the squirrels (who no doubt liked them, given the incredible number of shells I've found in the garden over the years) .

Sometimes I would hear him playing the guitar through my bedroom window, noodling away at some ditty or other. In later years, as first my brother and then I graduated from high school and college, I had the opportunity to converse with Mr. Kiefer at our graduation parties. Far from frightening, he possessed a keen intellect, and a great interest in music. I learned he was a teacher, and in fact taught two of my cousins some years ago.

 Remembering those conversations, I wonder if perhaps Frodo felt similarly when meeting Farmer Maggot in The Fellowship of the Ring. Chased off the farmer's land as a youth by Maggot and his dogs, Frodo remarks in later years, "I've been in terror of you and your dogs for over thirty years, Farmer Maggot, though you may laugh to hear it. It's a pity: for I have missed a good friend" (p. 137). While I've never been chased by Mr. Kiefer or his animals, nonetheless I think I understand Frodo's sentiments a little better.

For this I am especially thankful, as too frequently I think we let our first impressions carry undue weight in subsequent meetings. To borrow a term from Malcolm Gladwell, we take a "thin slice" of impressions, and use them to judge the whole; like using a slice of a potato to determine if the whole is moldy or not. However natural, this method is clearly flawed, and it is good to have such impressions modified, especially for the better.

I'm glad I got to know Mr. Kiefer a little better, and appreciate more fully the gifts he possessed, and the life he lived. He touched many people, and will surely be missed.

Peace, neighbor

jc