Tuesday morning many Downtown Columbia residents began their day at Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church, to be with the family and celebrate the life of Rodney Redd.
Every now and then we run into folks that intrigue us. Sure, everyone is different and can be struck by different personalities for different reasons. That said, for me, Mr. Redd was one of those people.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. and Mrs. Redd while on the job. One day out of nowhere Mrs. Redd contacted me and explained their perfect scenario. She was unbelievably pleasant, and humbled/flattered me with a label/brand that I’m quite proud of but can’t quite share on this blog. We didn’t speak again for three or four years.
Fast forward those years, and it was time for the Redds to move. This is where I got to know Mr. Redd close up and personal. I was impressed.
Mr. Redd was always cool and super calm. Even as we navigated through an unforeseen & expensive leaky shower pan (per a home inspection) he never raised an eyebrow. Honestly, during the whole process I never saw him get riled, and to this day never have. His incredible demeanor could curiously create an almost oxymoron/900lb gorilla in a room. It was almost funny how he could create a healthy questionable point/disagreement by being so cool.
The reason I used the pic above is because it tells a story. To me, that was Mr. Redd’s room. Every other room in the house had white trim, neutral colors, and modern everything. This room, however, was a “man cave” before man caves were a thing. Dark blue painted sweet grass walls, with pheasant pics, wood trim, leather/comfy stuff everywhere, and fireplace smoke aroma. Many times I’ll coach, “If you can smell it, you can’t sell it.” Well, the entire downstairs had a smokey fireplace smell that wasn’t going anywhere. This room was the culprit, and while it wasn’t for everyone, some people love a good fireplace bouquet. We embraced it.
Mr. Redd was a family man. It was evident he loved his family and his flooring business, Redd Flooring. I can say without hesitation that Mr. and Mrs. Redd were a team like you don’t see often. The were always together. It was sweet, and their relationship was quite impressive. Many of us could learn a lot from Mr. and Mrs. Redd as they had it all figured out. It was also evident that they loved their son Ernie. While I took the tour of their home on Dandridge for the first time, I was super impressed by the first floor. The second floor, while an awesome space, was stuck in a loving time warp. Ernie’s pics were everywhere, trophies hung, and his Hammond gym bag was ready for the next basketball game. I was so moved that I took a few pics and sent to my friend Ernie.
I could type a lot of stories I experienced with Mr. Redd, but here’s the thing that got me about the man which may have come full circle as his longtime friend, Mr. Sieling, spoke this morning at the church. Describing Mr. Redd, Mr. Sieling said a few times, “He was slow to anger.” I like this.
As I remembered my times with Mr. Redd, I thought “He was slow to anger” was a great way to describe it all. I mean this as a compliment. To me, a person slow to anger, is a person at peace with life.
Perhaps this is why I was drawn to his personality. Sure, every life has stress and worry. That said, Rodney Redd was a happy person and at peace, and said it all without saying it. That’s living.
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Redd for the opportunity and everything I’ve learned from you. Mr. Redd’s legacy lives with an awesome son, husband, and dad, Ernie, and grandson’s, Hampton and Manning. (Stay strong for all those boys Kim E. Redd!!!) 🙂
Y’all are the best.
Franklin
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