Imagine my surprise as I was scanning some recent posts from some of the leading IP blogs — multitasking while watching the Zags beat South Carolina on Saturday evening — to find my brand name in the title of Ron Coleman’s recent post on his famous Likelihood of Confusion blog:
Was this some kind of sick joke, the April Fools variety? After all, Ron can be a wise guy when sufficiently provoked. But, early April Fools jokes don’t pack the same punch in March — and after confirming Ron pressed publish on Friday March 31st, I began warming up to the possibility of it being a serious post, so then my mind turned to, did I say something stupid in that last Snapchat post? After all, I’ve never actually “snapped” before, only heard about it from my kids.
But, as I read on, I felt stunned and humbled by Ron’s numerous insights into what makes me tick (we’ve never discussed such things before), his generous encomium, and the multitude of magnanimous accolades he directed toward me and the “Best blogging bench in the biz.” Wow!
There are so many wonderful things that could be said about Ron, but two of the things I love most about Ron are his munificent and unstinting spirit. And yes, I consider Ron to be a kindred blogging spirit too. Notably though, Ron’s persistent generosity with his written and spoken words stands in stark contrast to the variety of petty jealousies and the overt cynicism that sadly can plague many in the legal profession. Ron has the self-confidence to freely spread words of love.
Some organizations exist that won’t circulate kudos-type emails to the masses because they might be too distracting, or more likely they might damage the fragile egos of those who feel uncomfortable/less than when others are recognized with well-deserved and appropriate praise.
Not Ron, anchors away with the ever-so-public praise! To be sure, Ron didn’t need to do what he did. But Ron knows that giving praise to others doesn’t diminish his standing as a professional.
In the end, all that Ron Coleman said about DuetsBlog and me, says much more about Ron.