Jack Kemp, RIP

I saw this article in the New York Times this evening, and I had to post the link.

I don't have many memories of his campaign with Bob Dole for the White House in 1996 (probably because I was in college at the time and therefore completely cut off from any and all current events). I'm not into football and I wasn't even alive when he played. My eyes glaze over at the mere mention of the word "economics" (whoa -- sorry. *rapid head shake*) so I am completely ignorant of (and mostly uninterested in) the details of the Kemp-Roth legislation that Reagan used to cut taxes in the early 80's.

So why do I care that Mr. Kemp has passed away? Well, while I didn't know him, I've spoken with several of his friends and colleagues, often at somewhat inconvenient hours, and I feel a vague sense of connection to the man.

Jack Kemp and I had the same cellphone number.

Well, yes -- more accurately, Jack Kemp had the number, changed his number, and the old number was given to me when I moved out to DC four years ago. Details, details. The important bit is that it was a detail which was evidently not passed along to everyone in Mr. Kemp's phone book.

The phone-number changeover must have happened fairly quickly, since it was only for my first year in DC that I fielded these calls for him. Of course, it took me a long time to figure out whom I was fielding calls for. Usually, the conversations ran like,

"Hello, is Jack there?"

"I'm sorry, you have the wrong number."

"So sorry." *click*

After a few months of this, I started informing people that, evidently, this used to be "Jack's" phone number (whoever he was), but it was mine now, and perhaps they could inform other people of that fact. This went on until one morning when I received a call for "Jack" at the gorgeous hour of 7am. I was polite but firm; the fellow on the other end of the line was oddly cheerful and talkative -- especially for early morning -- and thought the circumstances required commenting on.

"Wow. So this isn't his number any more. They must have reassigned it to you!"

"Yes, I suppose so." (What a blindingly brilliant observation, I thought. Please go away.)

"Well, this is hilarious." (Not really.) "Do you know whose phone number you have?"

"Some guy named 'Jack', evidently." (Why is this guy still talking?)

"Right. Jack Kemp."

Here, my brain finally woke up and clicked into high gear; I sat up straighter, a look of alert intelligence came into my expression, and I said,

"Jack who?"

There was an audible *snort* on the other end of the line. (This man just snorted at me! It's 7am! He woke me up, and he's snorting at me!)

"Jack KEMP. You know, football star? Vice Presidential nominee in '96?"

"Oh, yes! Of course! Jack Kemp..."

Well, I was mildly impressed. Anyway, it made for a fun conversation with my roommates over breakfast and almost made up for being wakened by a garrulous stranger. So, now that he's gone, I feel mildly sorry.

At any rate, sorry enough to say a prayer for his soul. Requiescat in pace.