The Factor Factor

It was just a whim. A snap decision motivated by a suggestion.

I called an old friend, one I had not talked to in over three decades and I can attest to the belief that relationships can survive time in stasis. In fact, you can pick up right where you left off, despite years and years without contact.

About two months ago I saw the wife of Dave Factor posting on social media. I reached out to Lisa to simply say that David had been a great friend, and was someone I still quoted from time to time. I asked her to pass it along. She answered back quickly.

“Tell him yourself…..here’s his phone number,” was her answer. She wasn’t being curt…just felt it might be appreciated more if it came from the horse’s lips.

I didn’t call. In fact I just squirreled away the number and went about my way.

For whatever reason, last night that interaction with Lisa Factor popped back into my brain.

So, out of the blue, I called Factor. He answered after a handful of rings.

“It’s Dreith,” I blurted. And his befuddled voice answered back……”What in the world prompted you to call? How are you?” An hour conversation followed..

In it, I was able to quote him from 40 years ago.

“If you are not willing to leave Bethalto, you are not willing to have ambition,” Factor once said to me.

Those words prompted me to step out in 2001 to take a college presidency away from my hometown.

Factor’s words in action.

Dave was one of the brightest and funniest guys from my childhood. I was elected class clown, but Dave was much, much more humorous. He was also much more ambitious.

Business was the first pursuit. He once told me, “I’m gonna make a million dollars…and then give half of it to my mom.” Dave was accepted at Washington University School of Business and graduated at the top of his class. He left, bought a three piece suit and started working at a large St. Louis corporation. Then one day, he quit. We were all stunned. He said it wasn’t what he was meant to do.

He started working on ambulances at the Wood River hospital and taking Biology classes at SIUE. And, about a year later, he entered the Army who gladly put him through medical school. Dr. Factor served and then went into private practice on the east coast. He and Lisa had a family and have lived away from the draw of Madison County, Illinois for over 30 years.

Their daughter, Emma, is an aspiring actress and will premiere on network television next season as the college roommate of the Secretary of State’s daughter. Look for Emma Factor in “Madame Secretary,” on CBS. She’s keeping the family name as her acting name. (If I wasn’t supposed to reveal this, Dave shouldn’t have told me. I’m still a reporter at heart)

As we closed our conversation, I learned that Dave’s mom, Dorothy, lived near him. She moved out several years ago after working in Bethalto all of her career.

I doubt he game Mom a half a mil, but I do know he was true to his words by taking care of her.

Dave was always honest and highly quotable.

And that’s why I called him out of the blue. To simply say, “Dude…..I still quote you. You had an impact on my life. Thank you.”

“Well,” he said in the same tone I remembered so well. “You made my night.”

With that we said good-bye.

Growing older requires us to let the people who had a consequence on our lives understand their impact. We didn’t get here by ourselves.

No matter who you are, you owe.

I wanted Dave to know.