dictated but not read

i had never before understood what the term "blue smoke" meant. but there it was, wafting into my office through a poorly-installed piece of plexiglass. it wasn't constant but every now and again i would get a waft and it would remind me that "the boss" was in and that his office was next to mine.

he was larger than life. you had a sense almost immediately when he walked into the office. the tone of the place changed. the whole ethos of the place was built on this self-made man who had come from the humble ranks to rule this domain, although it seemed like the world. and that was the beauty of his charisma. he made you believe that winnipeg was smack-dab in the middle of the world. he made you believe that clearly anyone who opposed his vision was either a nit-wit or a coward. he made you believe that if we all worked at it we really would make it.

our interactions were brief. i received a number of brilliant memos which were courteous, appreciative and brief. always ending with "dictated but not read"- his mantra. it reflects his strategy, his cockiness, his trust but most of all a willingness to admit that even through all the bluster and bravado- he would be willing to change his mind.

the world has lost something quite extraordinary in izzy asper. he truly was a one-of-a-kind and i feel priviledged to have met and known him.

. . .