Welcome to this week’s edition of The Company We Keep blog. I took a break last week to celebrate our local Apple Blossom Festival. And during that time, I discovered who I would shine the spotlight on this week. They say that we always see heroes emerge during our darkest hours. I experienced that this past Saturday. I made the mistake of trying to drive into town at the same time the Apple Blossom 10K race was happening. Because of this, most of the main roads leading to downtown Winchester were blocked off or completely shut down, causing me to park three miles from where I needed to be.
The walk into town was fine. The walk back was exhausting. I was tired, sweaty, and was carrying a bag of souvenirs (I will not be denied my balloon animals on a stick). A mile into the trek back to my car, I could feel the blisters forming. I was miserable and was honestly considering calling an Uber to drive me the rest of the way. That’s when I saw him. The Mayor of Middletown, Charles Harbaugh IV, driving down Valley Avenue in his unmistakable 1976 Cadillac convertible. “Where are you heading, Jay?” he shouted. “I’m walking to my car,” I replied. Without missing a beat, Charles (or C4 as his friends call him), whipped a U-turn and pulled up to the curb where I was standing. “Get in,” he said with a huge smile on his face. “Where are you parked?”
I cannot tell you how good this felt. Not just the fact that I got to sit down and take a load off. But the fact that I had a friend that would drop everything, delay where he was going, and inconvenience himself, simply to help someone else…namely me! And he didn’t do it because I’m that good of a friend. He did it because he’s that good of a person. I could spend the next few months blogging about how great of a guy C4 is. How he builds ramps to make homes wheelchair accessible, how he hands out free ice cream to kids in Middletown, how he spends so much time volunteering that you’d swear he had clones made of himself. But that’s not what this blog is about.
I wanted to showcase one act of kindness that he showed me that epitomized true servant leadership. Simply put, C4 saw someone in need and put another’s needs in front of his own. And while I want to bring awareness to this one act, I also want others to know that performing this kind of act is habitual for C4. He has made a career out of this sort of care for others. Years ago, I had the privilege of presenting C4 with an award at a banquet and got to read to the audience a list of all his accolades. My daughter, who was much younger at the time, read the script and innocently said, “The world needs more C4.” And I couldn’t agree more.
I’m sure C4 will read this story and tell me it was no big deal to pick me up. My 50-year-old knees would beg to differ. That’s the great thing about perspective. An act may mean next to nothing to one person, but it may mean the world to someone else.
C4: Thank you for serving others and being an excellent role model for all! Keep doing what you’re doing! And when the day comes that you decide to run for President, “The World Needs More C4” slogan is mine and my daughter’s gift to you!
Go C4! Middletown is blessed to have you!!
Another great read !!!!
Two more winners: C4 and your blog!! 👍🏻👍🏻
Charles is an amazing person and leader. I’d like a bottle of his energy…just once so I could attempt to keep up to him.
I was convinced C4 never sleeps but a clone seems more likely. He’s everywhere at once doing good it seems. We indeed need more like C4. And a regular dose of good news doesn’t hurt either.
He sure is special, isn’t he? To a lot of people in many different ways.
Charles is an awesome man I met him though Lenny. And they are both good people
Awesome Blog! C4 and JJ Greatest duo since Ashford and Simpson
Solid as a rock.
Thank you for writing this about Charles. I read this and it brought tears to my eyes as I have know Charles since he was a teenager and he has always been a kind, giving young man. He the best!
We all love you Charles- C4!
I love Charles! He always has time for you, even if it’s just a couple of minutes out of his busy day.
Awesome story and Charles is amazing with a heart of gold!!! He is always smiling, positive and truly makes the world a better place…..
Thanks Charles for always putting others first and taking the time to have a positive impact on others lives.
Your the best!!!!!!!!!
Love Charlie. A truly great man and mayor. No surprise to me that he’s in this blog series. Always a good read. Thanks for sharing your blog.
He is one of the special ones.. He cares about everyone.