Ted Williams: A Velvety Voice and Good Person As I Recall

Undoubtedly the last several days the entire nation has become familiar with the “Homeless Man with Velvety Voice”. His name is Ted Williams and in the mid and late 80′s, I knew and worked with Ted her in Columbus, Ohio.

There has been speculation that he is making up his story or that he is pulling a fast one on the American people and our genuine desire to see a Phoenix in our own times.  Though I lost touch with Ted around 1992 I do recall him being genuinely kind, likable and a good worker. I also knew that he had a large weakness for certain vices.

He has told us in the media interviews how his life crashed and had spun out of control and his vices were ruling his life. THANK GOD he is alive and THANK GOD he has been given a second chance. When a person is drowning in some sort of tragedy, often they let the vices take them under never to get out of their grip again.

So many want to dismiss him as just another scam artist or a druggie. I don’t agree.

• First, I do not hold the opinion that any human being, even the most addicted druggie, is “just” what they appear to be.  EVERY LIFE IS VALUABLE.
• Second, no matter how mighty, no matter how low a person is we are nothing more or nothing less than human and our humanity can quickly get the upper-hand on us if we do not have the tools, resources and people around us to help us stay afloat when we start to go down the wrong path.

I am glad to read the story of Ted Williams and anxious to see it unfold. I pray that he is surrounded by people who will help advance his life and career . I pray that none of the vices that once ruled his life ever OWN him again.  I pray that 20 years from now we are still hearing and celebrating a success story of Ted Williams going from tragedy to triumph.

PS:

I just read an article by Jeff Labrecque on EW that featured an interview with Doral Chenoweth, the web producer for the Columbus Dispatch who filmed Ted.  Hehas a great perspective that is thrown in at the end of the article…

About to fly home after a whirlwind trip to New York City, Chenoweth was reflective, hopeful for Williams, and still amazed by the events. “Maybe if I had released the video the week before Christmas, it never would’ve gained any traction in the national media,” he points out. “God’s in control of everything and God’s in control of this video. Ted’s got a real good outlook on it and so do I.”