I’m sitting at my desk this morning contemplating my experiences with former Governor Walt Miller. Unfortunately, my wife is on an out-of-state work trip, so I couldn’t attend the services yesterday. And that was too bad. I consider Pat Miller as a friend, and the same went for her husband, who I knew less, but I always thought well of.
During my tenure with the SDGOP in 1988 & 90, you might say I was “low man on the totem pole,” but nonetheless, it was still fun participating in all the behind the scenes activity. On one occasion, I was asked to give the then Lt. Governor Miller a ride back to the Mickelson re-election campaign headquarters from an event.
Having just called an auction to raise money at the event, in the car, he and I had a nice conversation about the history of why auctioneers have the honorary title of “colonel.” And he remembered that as we ran into each other along the campaign trail
At the time, it was a brief chat, but it impressed me that one of our state’s highest elected officials took a few moments with me, and despite being a college kid of not much consequence, remembered who I was.
And maybe that’s the best tribute of all that we can give to one of our past leaders – Someone who rose by chance or by fate to serve in our state’s highest office, who took the time to know the people he met on the way up. Someone who was, at the heart of it all, a good man.
There is no better tribute to a man than “Someone who was, at the heart of it all, a good man”. If each of us strove to have that be our legacy, the world would be a better place. A job well done Governor Miller. Rest in peace.