By Robert Sher
A tragic event occurred that I cannot get out of my mind. For me, writing helps process my thoughts, get them out of my head, and bring forth the lesson I need to learn. I’m hoping that if I write about the recent murder of Tom Cunningham, whom I knew and who influenced my kids and community, I’ll be able to reduce the amount of time my mind is spending thinking about it all--including times when I really need to be sleeping.
Three years ago, I discovered a hidden leader, and encouraged him. Tom was 35 years old and I wrote a letter to Tom’s bosses that made Tom feel ten feet tall. Tom was the janitor (officially the Head Custodian) of my kids’ elementary school. My kids started coming home talking a lot about Tom, and finally I inquired about who Tom was, and why my kids were so excited about the janitor. I asked a few questions around the school and of my wife and discovered that while Tom was indeed the janitor, he was in truth, a hidden leader at the school, having perhaps more influence than the principal, teachers, the PTA or any of the formal leaders.
