Everyone else can tell you how smart he is, how urbane, how scintillating. And they will, at length, because he is all of those things and a great many more. But at least as important, in my estimation, is that he is at ease with himself in a way you don't see often. He is a good friend. He is also patient and easygoing, and can talk about anything intelligently. This is telling: he just taught me to play chess, and even though I won my first game (I don't think he realized how reckless a player I can be) he was extremely gracious about the whole thing.

Probably because he knows it will never happen again.