Interesting People on the Fringe: This Week -- Jesus!

A lot of people have a core group of family and friends with whom they are close. But what about those folks on the edge of this group that come in and out of it from time to time? The Germans have a good word for it, "Bekannter", meaning acquaintance, someone close enough to stop and chat with on the street but not someone with whom you would go on vacation. In English, we often use the word "friend" lightly, calling everyone from our closest companion to colleagues at work to the person on MySpace whom you have never met our "friends". That being said, I have met some pretty interesting "Bekannter" during my lifetime, and in the spirit of a 64 oz. milk carton, I will start a weekly series here at Festung Europa listing a few interesting folks who have gone missing and fallen off my radar screen. If you know where they are, please direct them to this blog.

This week's lost acquaintance is Jésus Bendezu.

Jésus and I were architecture students at Iowa State University together, before I decided that my real interests in the architecture field were in its history rather than its practice. Jésus came originally from Peru and was quite an original and thought-provoking designer. I am sure he has gone far in his field. The last I heard of him, he had followed his mentor, Professor David Heymann, to Texas.

What do I remember about him the most? He had an unrequited crush on another lost acquaintance of mine, Ms. Ann Hruby. Ann related a story about one time when she came home to her apartment and there was a note on the refrigerator: "Ann - Jesus called." For some, that would be a sign from above.

Jésus, wherever you are...Prost!