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Out of the past
Jan. 7th, 2025 09:54 amI'm still posting a good bit on Instagram, currently have about 700 followers there, if you don't count the thirst-trap accounts that drop in and out. Two or three new ones pop up every time I do a show, folks who've stopped in the booth, taken a card or bought a pot. But about a month ago, I noticed a name pop up from a wholly different part of my life.
Way back in the summer of 1988 and 1989, I taught ceramics at a summer camp in Connecticut, called Buck's Rock, I've mentioned it here before. A lot of the counselors were from Europe, mostly the British Isles, here on a program that got them work for the summer, a couple of weeks travel time afterwards, and a guaranteed ticket home. There were a couple such programs, CampAmerica, BunaCamp, we had folks from both. One of the English computer shop counselors and I bonded over a mutual love of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; he was Arthur, I Ford. We'd exchanged a few letters in the years since, I still sent him my Christmas letter, but we'd mostly fallen out of touch.
So imagine my surprise to see his name pop up on my new followers notices. It's not an uncommon name, so I messaged asking if this was indeed Arthur Dent of Buck's Rock. Didn't get a reply, more-or-less forgot about it in the hectic run-up to Christmas.
Finally heard back on New Year's Eve Eve (December 30)--it was indeed him--and that afternoon, found a package on my front porch! He'd sent me this book, along with a six-page hand-written letter! (After 30-plus years at keyboards, he's getting back in touch with pen and paper...) He's doing well, kids grown, just retired. Has apparently been lurking around my internet even back to the Saturday Cafe days. I'm really glad to be back in contact. Someday, I hope to get my passport situation sorted out so we can actually visit in person.
The book is lovely, a reflection on friendship, with beautiful drawings. I've been rationing out pages over the last week, and thinking of old friends and times past.
Way back in the summer of 1988 and 1989, I taught ceramics at a summer camp in Connecticut, called Buck's Rock, I've mentioned it here before. A lot of the counselors were from Europe, mostly the British Isles, here on a program that got them work for the summer, a couple of weeks travel time afterwards, and a guaranteed ticket home. There were a couple such programs, CampAmerica, BunaCamp, we had folks from both. One of the English computer shop counselors and I bonded over a mutual love of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; he was Arthur, I Ford. We'd exchanged a few letters in the years since, I still sent him my Christmas letter, but we'd mostly fallen out of touch.
So imagine my surprise to see his name pop up on my new followers notices. It's not an uncommon name, so I messaged asking if this was indeed Arthur Dent of Buck's Rock. Didn't get a reply, more-or-less forgot about it in the hectic run-up to Christmas.
Finally heard back on New Year's Eve Eve (December 30)--it was indeed him--and that afternoon, found a package on my front porch! He'd sent me this book, along with a six-page hand-written letter! (After 30-plus years at keyboards, he's getting back in touch with pen and paper...) He's doing well, kids grown, just retired. Has apparently been lurking around my internet even back to the Saturday Cafe days. I'm really glad to be back in contact. Someday, I hope to get my passport situation sorted out so we can actually visit in person.
The book is lovely, a reflection on friendship, with beautiful drawings. I've been rationing out pages over the last week, and thinking of old friends and times past.
