Get Off My Lawn! - Rex Warren (Wr3cks)
Rex Warren passed yesterday April 4th 2023.
We are about to forever lose one of the most “OG” and greatest hackers in history. He was always the quiet guy in the back of all the old photo’s, never flashy, never looking to make a name for himself, he was just happy to be around, so instead of doxxing him, I’ll just give him the code name Vulcan (Hey.. he likes volcanos!). Although Vulcan’s hacking skills, stories and knowledge will be sorely missed, that’s not what makes him great.
I heard a saying from a friend this week, “Money talks, true wealth whispers”. And I can’t help but think of Vulcan in these terms after my morning scroll through Linkedin. So many people trying to build a business through branding (myself included) and so, so many others trying to drop knowledge about leadership, how to run a business, what is the best way to (insert here). Vulcan did it all, from building a well known company from the ground up, to simply teaching so many people like me how to hack. In light of all his accomplishments, again.. none of this is what made him great, and although myself and others will remember every bit of it, it took years and a group of us to get most of those stories out of him.
Vulcan was always helping those around him, finding that amazing balance between making you feel like he’s your best friend, but at the same time never wanting to disappoint him because he means so much to you. He lead people in a way that I probably never can, and frankly in a way I’ve never seen anyone else capable of doing; Quiet, interested, caring, funny, controlled, knowledgeable, accountable. Yes, Vulcan has flaws, but they were so damn endearing, that even the man’s damn flaws became something that the rest of us ended up loving. His leadership style was and went against everything the Marine Corps taught me about leadership, what you will read in a book, or hear from people here on linkedin.
When the executives of the world pass away, when death finally catches those CEO’s that all think they are the next Steve Jobs, people will point to their “legacy”. They will use words like “visionary”, “genius”, “ruthless”, “risk taker” or “generous”. To me, this is the definition of money talking. You can accomplish so much with money, you can buy an electric car company, make yourself CEO and tell the world how you’ve invented the electric car. Hell, you can make rockets, all while people are cheering your name and calling you a genius. All of it is just money talking.
I found out Saturday that Vulcan was returning home from the hospital in what amounted to hospice care, and was given about a week before he passes. Although Vulcan and I haven’t worked together for the same company in years, he has remained one of my most favorite people on this planet and a dear, dear friend. I had just talked to him last week, and everything seemed ok, until it suddenly wasn’t. I dropped everything to fly back home as I was on the other side of the United States at the time, then signal started blowing up. Messages were going back and forth, the groups of people he touched, former colleagues, friends started to share. Tears started to fall, texts to his wife, the amount of people reaching out, although heart breaking for the reason, was nothing short of amazing, watching one by one, how many people cared so much for this grumpy old school hacker.
In under 24 hours a group (as large as his wife would allow) of us came from multiple states, by plane, train and automobile to sit and bullshit, talk, laugh and say a heartbreaking goodbye.
We sat for hours, listening to his stories one last time, all of us just wanting to be near him, wanting to be around him, none of us wanting to leave. We joked, laughed and of course when it came time to say goodbye, we hugged him and cried.
I can’t recall anyone not telling Vulcan that they loved him as they hugged him one last time.
True wealth whispers . . . .
As I sit here and I write this, I think of the executive VP’s that chose that extra little bit of profit over someone’s job, I think of the “visionaries” that step on or over people, and even those that eventually try and give back to people or others. And when they pass, there will be droves of people that will “mourn” the loss of that “visionary”.
How many of them, when their time comes, will have people come from all over, standing in line to simply say I love you, and truly mean it, to someone that wasn’t their Dad, or Uncle or Family by blood or marriage? Vulcan simply started out as everyone’s boss, yet here he was, completely surrounded by this group of people that genuinely loved him. And this was just the group that was able to drop everything and get there in 24 hours. Dozens of others, texted, called, were too sick to fly out, would have made the group too large, the list goes on. Under different circumstances, we could have filled his property with people who all felt the same.
After we all left, we looked back at his house, hoping beyond hope, as we stood there that we would get one last glimpse of him, opening his window, and yelling at all of us to get off his lawn. Although it didn’t happen, he still made us laugh just thinking about it.
Longfellow once wrote that God’s voice is not in the earthquake, not in the fire, nor the storm, but it was in the whispering breezes.
While it seems like the entire world is trying their best to make as much noise as possible, the ones that always mean the most, the one’s that touch people’s lives seem to do it with a whisper.
Hackers think differently than others, it what makes us hackers. We think outside the box, we find ways to use things in a manner that no one else would think about. As I start this journey grieving my friend, I can’t help but smile a bit. This old school hacker, did it different than most, and I pray, that when my time comes, I have even half of the people Vulcan has that care for him, care for me. Imagine what this world would be like, if more people were like Vulcan. Thinking outside of the box, putting people before profits, making friends into family and literally leaving the world better than you found it.
I can’t speak for Vulcan, but I think his quiet legacy leaves this world in a far better place than an Iphone, or a car ever could.
Instead of making shareholders rich, he made us all wealthy. We ALL Love you, the world is better because you were in it. WE are all better because you were here.
Fair winds and following seas my friend, we’ll all see each other again.