بدأت علاقتي بالعم العزيز عبدالرحمن الشثري - رحمه الله - بجفوة، وانتهت بحظوة.
ففي بدايات عملي الصحفي، كنت غالباً ما أتوجّس خيفةً من روح الرقابة لدى كل من أتعامل معهم في مواقع الإعلام والعلاقات العامة بالمؤسسات الحكومية، فتبدأ العلاقة وتنتهي بالنفور، أو تتحول إلى صداقة حميميّة، وهو ما يحصل في الغالب، حيث تطغى روح الأصالة في العلاقات الإنسانية في المجتمع السعودي !
أول معرفتي بأبي هشام كانت عندما لبّيت دعوة لحضور مناورات الحرس الوطني في منطقة القصيم، وكانت الحافلة تقلّ من الرياض رؤساء التحرير والإعلاميين، وكان أبو هشام كالنحلة، يتنقل بين المقدمة حيث كبار الإعلاميين سنّاً ومقاماً، والمؤخرة حيث صغارهم - وربما المشاغبين - يوزّع بنفسه المرطبات والمأكولات. كانت تلك الرحلة نقطة تحوّل في التعرّف على روحه الطيّبة ونفسه الكريمة !
لكن الصداقة الشخصيّة نشأت بعد تقاعده، بواسطة مجموعة من الأصدقاء المشتركين، مثل الأساتذة: حمد القاضي، وعلي الشدي، ومنصور الخضيري، وبدر كريم، وغيرهم. كان مجلسه ملتقى لأصدقاء الحرف، وكثيراً ما أخجلني باتصاله وسؤاله إن غبت لفترة طويلة، وكم كان نبيلاً وهو يزورني للاطمئنان بعد وعكة صحيّة، فلم يكن يميّز في التقدير وأداء الواجب بحسب السن أو المقام !
كان عمله في الحرس الوطني تاريخاً حافلاً بالتطوير والنجاح، لكن - برأيي - كان عمله بعد التقاعد في تأسيس جمعية مرضى الكلى هو البصمة الحقيقيّة في حياته ومجتمعه، فقد كرّس نفسه وطاقته لخدمة مرضى الكلى، وساهمت الجمعية في إنشاء عشرات مراكز الكلى في مختلف مناطق المملكة، وتوفير الرعاية لمستحقيها !
كنت يوماً جالساً بجواره في مجلسه، عندما تلقّى اتصالاً حول تعثّر مشروع لأحد مراكز الكلى في إحدى المحافظات، فقال لمحدثه إنه سيتصرف، ولا داعي للقلق. وكان يستمع للمكالمة رجل الأعمال ناصر الطيّار، فأشار له بأنه سيتكفّل بكامل المبلغ المطلوب، وقدره مليون ريال. فكم من أجرٍ كسبه من سعيه في تمويل وإقامة هذه المراكز، وتلبية حاجات مستفيديها ! وقد رافقته مرة لافتتاح مركز للكلى في منطقة الجوف، تبرّع به رجل الأعمال الراحل عبدالرحمن الخريف، فكان يطير بجناحي السعادة، كأنه والد عروس يزفّها !
رحم الله أبا هشام، فقد رحل مخلفاً مشاعر في نفوس، وذكريات في عقول، وأعمالاً في مجتمع ستخلّد ذكراه.
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
My relationship with my dear uncle Abdulrahman Al-Shathri - may God have mercy on him - began with a certain coldness and ended with warmth.
In the early days of my journalistic career, I often felt apprehensive about the spirit of censorship among everyone I dealt with in the media and public relations sectors of government institutions. Thus, relationships would often start and end with aversion, or they would transform into close friendships, which is usually the case, as the spirit of authenticity in human relationships prevails in Saudi society!
My first acquaintance with Abu Hisham was when I accepted an invitation to attend the National Guard maneuvers in the Al-Qassim region. The bus carried editors-in-chief and journalists from Riyadh, and Abu Hisham was like a bee, moving between the front where the senior journalists were, both in age and status, and the back where the younger ones - and perhaps the mischievous ones - were, personally distributing refreshments and snacks. That trip was a turning point in getting to know his kind spirit and generous soul!
However, the personal friendship developed after his retirement, through a group of mutual friends, such as professors: Hamad Al-Qadi, Ali Al-Shiddi, Mansour Al-Khudairi, Badr Kareem, and others. His gathering was a meeting place for friends of the craft, and he often embarrassed me with his calls and inquiries if I was absent for a long time. How noble he was when he visited me to check on me after a health setback; he did not distinguish in appreciation and fulfilling duties based on age or status!
His work in the National Guard was a history filled with development and success, but - in my opinion - his work after retirement in establishing the Kidney Patients Association was the true hallmark of his life and community. He dedicated himself and his energy to serving kidney patients, and the association contributed to the establishment of dozens of kidney centers in various regions of the Kingdom, providing care to those in need!
One day, I was sitting next to him in his gathering when he received a call regarding a stalled project for one of the kidney centers in one of the provinces. He told the caller that he would take care of it and that there was no need to worry. The businessman Nasser Al-Tayyir was listening to the call, and he indicated that he would cover the entire required amount, which was one million riyals. How much reward he earned from his efforts in funding and establishing these centers and meeting the needs of their beneficiaries! I once accompanied him to the opening of a kidney center in the Al-Jouf region, donated by the late businessman Abdulrahman Al-Khuraif, and he was flying with the wings of happiness, as if he were a father escorting his bride!
May God have mercy on Abu Hisham; he left behind feelings in souls, memories in minds, and deeds in a community that will immortalize his memory.
In the early days of my journalistic career, I often felt apprehensive about the spirit of censorship among everyone I dealt with in the media and public relations sectors of government institutions. Thus, relationships would often start and end with aversion, or they would transform into close friendships, which is usually the case, as the spirit of authenticity in human relationships prevails in Saudi society!
My first acquaintance with Abu Hisham was when I accepted an invitation to attend the National Guard maneuvers in the Al-Qassim region. The bus carried editors-in-chief and journalists from Riyadh, and Abu Hisham was like a bee, moving between the front where the senior journalists were, both in age and status, and the back where the younger ones - and perhaps the mischievous ones - were, personally distributing refreshments and snacks. That trip was a turning point in getting to know his kind spirit and generous soul!
However, the personal friendship developed after his retirement, through a group of mutual friends, such as professors: Hamad Al-Qadi, Ali Al-Shiddi, Mansour Al-Khudairi, Badr Kareem, and others. His gathering was a meeting place for friends of the craft, and he often embarrassed me with his calls and inquiries if I was absent for a long time. How noble he was when he visited me to check on me after a health setback; he did not distinguish in appreciation and fulfilling duties based on age or status!
His work in the National Guard was a history filled with development and success, but - in my opinion - his work after retirement in establishing the Kidney Patients Association was the true hallmark of his life and community. He dedicated himself and his energy to serving kidney patients, and the association contributed to the establishment of dozens of kidney centers in various regions of the Kingdom, providing care to those in need!
One day, I was sitting next to him in his gathering when he received a call regarding a stalled project for one of the kidney centers in one of the provinces. He told the caller that he would take care of it and that there was no need to worry. The businessman Nasser Al-Tayyir was listening to the call, and he indicated that he would cover the entire required amount, which was one million riyals. How much reward he earned from his efforts in funding and establishing these centers and meeting the needs of their beneficiaries! I once accompanied him to the opening of a kidney center in the Al-Jouf region, donated by the late businessman Abdulrahman Al-Khuraif, and he was flying with the wings of happiness, as if he were a father escorting his bride!
May God have mercy on Abu Hisham; he left behind feelings in souls, memories in minds, and deeds in a community that will immortalize his memory.
