In 1991, I was stuck on a mountaintop in Colorado. We lived there in literal isolation. I belonged to a Haiku group on the Internet and at the time I was involved in volunteering in the VA Hospital's Writing program "writing in the therapeutic process". I wrote a lot of other poems and one day received an inquiry from another Haiku writer.
I just had surgery and was laid up for nearly two months. My husband traveled and I was alone more than I cared to be. James, Jim or Jamo as he wanted to be called also just had surgery and we began to write, both of us being bored to death having to stay home and mostly in bed.
He was a blue collar worker and appeared to be a rough and tumble guy with the heart of a Saint and who was loyal to his friends whether he had met them or not. From him I learned a side of life I had no clue about. He was passionate in his beliefs and wanted you to know.
Through our email exchange and his stories and words, I met his wife and children. He and his wife moved from Massachusetts to South Carolina where they bought some acreage. He improved his land, did some work for others when they were not able to, bought a pontoon boat and fished to his hearts content. In 2007 he and his wife drove west to see the new outlook at the Grand Canyon, they stopped by to visit us. It was wonderful to meet them both, and he was as he had presented himself in his emails, real and no bull about it. When they left we knew we'd be lifelong friends, he hugged me and said "kid, I'll probably never see you again". I didn't believe it, because I knew I'd come to visit them but sadly never did.
He had more health problems than any human ought to suffer and through it all, he remained what he always was, a tough guy who could handle life's rough spots. Earlier this year I stopped hearing from him, wrote a couple of times, asked that he tell me what I did wrong so I could apologize and thought it strange that he would just disappear, it didn't seem like him.
Today, October 23rd, I decided enough was enough and called him. Inez his wife answered and told me that he passed away in his sleep in March. She said she called here, but I never got the message.
I'm sad to have lost my friend, but I celebrate the fact that I got to know him in the first place and got to meet him, his wife and family.
At my age I have to celebrate the good things and not the fact that more and more friends will pass on. And so I am thankful to have known this astonishing individual.
0 comments:
Post a Comment