Thinking about friends

This morning I got news that a wonderful man I used to work with passed away following some treatment for cancer of the throat.

Larry was a graphic designer at my old agency. He was a quiet man who went about his life and work without ever ruffling anyone's feathers. He was a good friend to many and he was very kind. He was also a good designer. He did some design work for an event for the band I played in.

Larry was gay, and he was quiet about that too.

And I'm thinking about my friend Diana whom I have known for about 23 years. She has cancer in her liver and elsewhere and is now in hospice care. I don't expect her to be around much longer.

Tell your friends how much you love them - now, today!

Profound moments in life

The other day I was thinking about the special moments in my life. I was on my way to work and had been thinking about my dear friend Diana who is quite ill with cancer and I don't know how much longer she'll be around.


We had talked about our vicarious families - the children of friends and colleagues. Diana is an only child so she doesn't have the benefit of nieces and nephews as I do.

But I thought how some people put their wedding as the greatest day of their lives, or the births of children. I don't have that but I have accomplished a few significant moments - graduations, investiture as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

The most profound moments have been the quiet ones. Like Elijah on the mountaintop - God came in a gentle whisper. For me many of those moments included music. A non-exhaustive list in no particular order:

• holding each of my newborn nieces and nephews
• some moments of prayer
• the Sanctus in the Mozart Requiem
• singing Handel's Messiah
• singing the Mahler 8th Symphony
• performing Ticheli's American Elegy with the Capitol Pride Symphonic Band
• the CPSB trip to Concord, New Hampshire
• a weekend at the Ciskanik summer home in Pennsylvania
• summer-rep theatre at WVU
• the moment as the curtain opened in Oliver! - a show I stage managed my senior year
• baking cookies with Nana
• listening to Ma tell family stories
• sitting atop a mountain in Germany
• standing near the Grotto in Lourdes
• lunch in Orvieto with Bart
• many evenings at home with George
• family walks in the woods with Uncle Stan and Uncle Gene
• floating on the river
• enjoying friends

Separated at Birth

It occurred to me today that these two Washington, DC celebrities bear a striking resemblance.

On the left is NBC - WRC 4 Consumer reporter, Liz Crenshaw.

On the right is DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

Interesting.

The trouble with Facebook

Remember back when you were in high school and on a Monday you heard your friends talking about some party they went to over the weekend. You were left thinking, Hmmm, all my friends were at this party. Why wasn't I invited? Why didn't I hear about it?

Okay, maybe you were always at the parties.

Recently some friends have posted photos on Facebook of parties they have attended. I look at the photos and see a bunch of my friends and the hosts are friends yet I wasn't invited.

I have thick enough skin to not think that it is a personal slight. But it still sucks not being one of the cool people.

sigh...