When picking surgery dates, I had to choose between Tuesdays and Fridays. After weighing different variables, I decided to go with January 9th. After it was etched in stone, I realized I forgot one thing:
Patrick Kluesner's 30th birthday. Oops. Well, seeing that I won't be able to do much during it, the least I can do is tell you a little bit about the guy, and why he's literally (that word is overused a lot - in this case it's spot on) one of the nicest human beings I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Aside from being my roommate and business partner, Patrick Kluesner is as genuine of a person as you'll come across. In the two and a half years I've known him, I can't think of a time that he's said anything to anyone aside from exactly what he felt. He's always been one to try and help people. I remember the first time he came and watched me play a volleyball tournament (he doesn't play): He would jump off his seat to offer us high-fives at timeouts, telling us we were doing great if we were, and trying to cheer us up if we weren't doing so well. He asked if there was anything he could do to help us, maybe scout something the other team was doing or something of that nature. He may not have an interest in the sport, but he made it an interest because it mattered to his friends, and that's something I'll always appreciate.
He's a self-proclaimed "hugger" - again, completely genuine. It never gets old to me to watch people get startled when he goes in for the real thing, yet within a few sentences, you can see them realize that there was nothing more to it and any concerns about him are diffused. There's been a lot of volleyball players that have come over to hang out at our house, and not only has he welcomed them in, often he cooks something incredible on the grill for everyone. He plays the role of host better than me even when it's something I've organized without hesitation.
This New Year's Eve, I had my 10 year old brother over and Patrick joined us. He could have done his own thing, but he spent time with my brother and helped him learn how to play a driving simulator video game. I'd like to think I'm a decent coach: Patrick was so patient with him (which isn't always easy), and by the end of it, he had the hang of it. I can't say I would have had the same results.
He's as good of a listener as I've ever met. I can't pretend that there aren't moments where I catch myself listening to someone talk about something, and I already know my response before they finish. I'm working on that. In the last 2 1/2 years, Patrick has had the misfortune to typically be the first person I see after work, dates, events - and I have unloaded a ton on him. He's always listened with genuine interest, and when I may be spazzing out, he seems to always know the right thing to say.
I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen him REALLY angry. The first time was because I was second-guessing myself and he wasn't having any of it. I've entertained the idea of what eventually became Progression Volleyball Consulting for years, but it was Patrick that really pushed me to go for it. He had heard my ideas (I like that word better than rants or tangents) enough and finally said "Let's do it." I'm blessed with many people that have supported my causes/ideas: Patrick went above and beyond to be a part of it. I can't say with certainty I would have jumped in alone, and now that things are in full swing, I'm so lucky and thankful that he did it.
Aside from all his good qualities as a person, he also happens to be a hard worker - if he sets his mind to accomplish something, I'll bet the house on him every time. He came into the house with no ping pong experience - Jerrod and I would lob balls to him and win 21-10. Years later, he regularly takes games off of all of us. That's a simple example, but the bottom line is, while he may not have a natural knack at everything that interests him, I've never seen him pick up an interest/hobby and not get the end result he desires. He's talented, but his determination to finish what he starts is second to none.
I could write a book on it, but for now I'll stop as there's birthday-eve celebrations to commence. Happy birthday buddy - here's to many more!
