PORTLAND, Ore. — You can tell a lot about someone by how they treat others. But perhaps what speaks louder is how others treat them.
“He’s never met a stranger, he gets along with anybody,” said Tanisha Harris, speaking about her father, Fred Harris. Fred has lived on Northeast 13th Avenue since 1969, with his wife of 54 years.
“My friend said I’m the mayor of 13th street (Avenue),” said Fred. On this day, a more appropriate nickname is "birthday boy."
“The big nine-oh,” he said with a smile.
Mr. Harris is originally from Mississippi, he joined the military and served at several duty stations, including Japan. The soft-spoken family man has seen a lot in his life, but he can’t recall anything like the coronavirus pandemic.
Even with enough candles to brighten these dark days, Fred alone is a light here on 13th Avenue. The neighborhood crowd is evidence of that. But so is his birthday surprise.
On Tuesday afternoon, a line of cars cruised through honking their horns, right in front of Harris’ home, to wish him a happy 90th birthday.
“I pray I make it to that day and further, and be just as healthy as he is,” said Tanisha. “I hope everybody learns from this pandemic, that we need each other.”
He may not be loud about it, but he’s proud of his family and the life he’s built on Northeast 13th. And you can tell how others feel about him, thanks to a special birthday treat.
“Yeah we’ve had some good times,” said Fred. “Hope to have a few more.”