On Mar 15, 2012, at 4:03 PM, Walt Gilbert wrote: > I'm sorry for the loss of your friend, Larry. I remember you talking about > him a bit when I was there visiting. It was obvious you had great respect and > affection for the man.
Thanks Walt, Bruce, Paul, and a preemptive thank you for people yet to comment. > > Between the photos and your email to the Linux group, you've put together a > great, warm tribute to his memory. > > May he rest in peace and his family and friends always carry him in their > hearts. It is interesting that this is the second time in the past year that "look at what this shiny piece of kit can do" snapshots have come in handy as one of the few shots I have of someone alive and healthy. There may be a lesson here about it being good to show of your new gear. Or at least get photos of friends, even if it isn't a special occasion. If you want to know what I feel of the situation, here is something I wrote to vent, before going to bed that night: Hakuna Matata my ass A friend once bought a used ambulance for towing his race car. I told him that he should name it "Gloria Monday", as in "Sick Transit, Gloria Monday". Well I just had a steaming pile of sic transit shat all over my plate today. Despite knowing him for a bit over 22 years, I can't honestly say that John was a very close friend. I don't know if we ever had any of those deep heart to heart conversations that best friends had. But, over the past two decades he's been there, in the background, doing little things that have benefited the community in general, and a few that helped me in particular. Outside of school, the first machine I had a shell account with net access on was deeptht. A system he ran with his own time and money and gave shell accounts to pretty much anyone that asked for them for free. Twenty years and an eternal September later it's hard for most people to fathom what an amazing thing to do this was. Today, my emotions are a muddled, confused, angry mess. Upon hearing the news this morning my immediate emotion was one of relief. Relief that the waiting was over. That, the months and years of pain and suffering from the cancer had finally come to an end for John. Relief at ending the uncertainty, not knowing when he was going to die, and the rest of us can now make plans more than a few hours in advance without wondering if we'd have to cancel them because we finally got "the news". I'm angry at the loss of someone who about the worst thing I can say of him is that he nearly waited until it was too late to write his will, because he didn't want to do anything that might break his positive attitude, the only slim chance at survival he had. I'm angry that a good man, with a wife and two young sons is dead, while others, who would not only be happier, but the world would be a better place, if they were to let slip from this earthly vale of tears, are still alive, taking up space, and spreading vitriol and their own special brand of pain and suffering to any and all close to them. I'm angry that his two sons will grow up with only vague memories of their father, and basically none of him before the cancer. I could go on, but if I did, I'd inevitably succumb to the all too human urge to make this be about me. My grief, my loss, my inconvenience, when what I should do is shut up and let this be about a good man that died way too early. -- Larry Colen l...@red4est.com sent from i4est -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.