A tribute to professor Robert West, on the occasion of his 90th birthday

This is for Bob, and for his vast number of friends and colleagues who wish to celebrate his 90(th) birthday. On this occasion we express our admiration, friendship, and appreciation for the wonderful adventures that he has shared with so many of us. While we are limited to providing a personal account of our experience of Bob, we believe that what we describe will in some way resonant with those who know him. Not surprisingly, the life of a great person is dedicated to all possible kinds of movement (mentally and physically) always curious and ready to find out what future brings rather than looking back upon the past. Needless to say - Bob moves quickly. Very quickly. So we will not pretend that we, or anyone else, could capture the essence of the man. As much as he immerses himself in the moment, it seems a losing proposition to try to identify something singular and unchanging about him. As Heraclitus says "we can never step into the same river twice," so has been our experience, and delight, with Bob. It is our hope that many other accounts of Bob will be told and retold during the events celebrating his 90(th) birthday.