I had begun to give up on my friend Doc as 2014 was winding down as the Christmas card I sent to him, Masami and Nicholas (I’m calling him Baby Doc due to all the Nick’s in my family) bounced back. I figured I had pissed him off or something worse, like he had given up on friends, etc. Hell, I feared he was dead.
Instead I received an e-mail from him at his new gmail-based address in my work inbox, quite a gamble he took that I’ve stayed for almost 16 years.
Doc is fine. Internet access at his farm isn’t exactly consistent, hence why I support a Rural Internet-ification Act and the FCC’s reclassification of access as a public utility. He gave a quick summary over the last several years but what touched me the most is how he still thought about me. I’m in the same boat. I mean how can’t I? The dude changed my life by inviting me down to Austin 21 years ago! Without him, I don’t want to think of what I’d be doing now. Probably something terrible, wishing I were dead as I’m freezing my ass off in the Midwest at a more soul-crushing job. Worse would be living near my parents in Raleigh-Durham, the Indianoplace of the East Coast. Nope, Austin is home and Doc knew me better than myself.
I need to get him a comment account with the Doc handle and write him back in greater detail about my doings. Or see if he has an RSS Feed Collector.