15, maybe 20, years ago my mother, in her 70's, took her winter vacation on the Big Island, Hilo side, at the somewhat upscale and secluded beach resort she was fond of. Palm trees, white sand, private bungalows, and all that. As she tells it, she had wanted to head up to the volcano, but couldn't find anyone else who wanted to go, so she signed up for a day of sailing. One other person had signed up so the two of them had the run of the vessel that day and she said that they had such a great time chatting about a wide range of subjects and just enjoying the day. They had dinner that night and agreed that they'd stay in touch. He offered his email address, having mentioned earlier that he was in computers, but she suggested they use a real address as she knew nothing about them.
I have no idea if they ever corresponded. She lived long enough to tell me the story of 'the nice young man' she had met in Hawaii, his name and occupation, and the great couple of days they had shared. Apparently, he was a class act. She passed not long thereafter, having grasped nothing more, on this subject, than what I have already written here.
Today marks the day of the passing of the other side of that encounter and I feel somehow diminished. We were all witness, and grew alongside of, and to some extent because of, his gifts. Explaining it all is beyond my capacity and would be an insult to all, but I can assure you we would not have BC conditions available on the fly without him.
thanks mr. J
edit for punctuation
