The thing about Bob was, he lived life on his own terms. He always said exactly what he thought, even when it was completely inappropriate. It was quite comical at times, actually. He made people so angry in our staff meetings! I already miss him.
Bob was an acquired taste. He was this radical guy. A radical union supporter, protester, a radical environmentalist. He biked to work often, even though he seemed to live in a different town, and this is Wisconsin, with all of our weather. His body was a mass of muscle. I really never expected anything like this to happen to it. I mean, did it really seem like a good idea to kayak around Lake Superior, all alone? Lake Superior, a lake that has tides? Well, yeah, for Bob, I totally thought he could handle it. I thought he would be fine. I admired him. I complained that he took off a week early for summer vacation to begin his grand adventure. But I was jealous, truth be told.
For all of the horror of a good person dying, I still think that is the best way to go: living your ultimate dream.
And then it makes me so happy to be alive still myself. Is that wrong? Treasure everyone you know! I really didn't notice how much I liked Bob until today. I know that the next staff meeting, someone will say something politically correct and I'll wonder what Bob would have shouted out right then! Maybe I'll speak my mind more next time. The world needs more like Bob. Watch him take off to live his ultimate dream here.
The whole trip was actually a way of raising money for this cause. I think he had already raised over $4000.
A touching tribute. Thanks. The video too; strange to hear the words of one you know is setting off on his last days...and also poignant to think of the one making the video missing him.
ReplyDeleteIt is strange, too, that he called the video, "The Last Supper".
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