I've been trying to think of a specific episode or encounter that would best summarize my relationship with Ted, but after some reflection I think that understanding what Ted meant to me is not something any one moment could explain. The one thing that stands out the most about Ted was what a solid, reassuring, dependable presence he was.
Ted was, to use a slang term, solid. And the importance of this solid-ness should not be undervalued. Carleton is filled with intelligent, impressive, and incredibly busy people. While this environment has a lot of great benefits, it also carries a few unfortunate side effects; people are often too busy to follow through with everything that they commit to. If someone says they'll be at a recital, you often learn to take it with a grain of salt--they might have to put it off for more pressing matters.
But not so with Ted. Without a doubt, you knew that Ted would be true to his word. He was that rock of dependability in a stream of chaos that was always there to hold on to if things got too crazy. You could count on Ted to be there, you coud count on him to be into whatever it was, you could count on him to listen, to be compassionate and understanding to whatever the problem was, to pay attention even if no one else could spare the time, to care, to be open-minded, to be a friend.
So that's what I want to say about Ted: you could count on him to be there always. It's not the one time that he was there that stands out, it's that he was there every time. I aspire to be as dependable and solid as Ted was, and everyone could learn from his example. Solid, compassionate, a great friend. He will be missed.
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