March 19, 2023
by Cody Medina
"When perspective is lost, the truth can't be found."
I
Thirty-One Days
March 21, 2022
I’d been getting to know Mark via phone and Zoom meetings for exactly one month, to the day, when I last saw him. I had seen him for the first time just four days prior. I was not, as I thought, to get more acquainted with this passionate, authentic human being.
Early in our acquaintance Mark invited me to watch this movie “and tell [him] what I think.”
He had already told me how he’d done a fair amount of climbing, trekked through Nepal, his love of the mountains and intensity for living close to nature.
I was in the hospital from the time I met him where I didn’t have Netflix. The movie would have to wait.
I was curious of course why he wanted my thoughts, in particular, on this movie; as opposed to just recommending as a good movie to watch.
Had he some part in its making, climbed in these regions, did he he rub shoulders with this climber, or just thought to share and chat about it as one of his interests that he was passionate about?
I’ll never know.
Yesterday I watched the movie.
There was this quality of feeling like I was having the experience of hanging out with Mark.
It was kinda cool.
Watching it now, it was nice to share this time, in a sense “with him”, as some last measure of experiencing him after he’s gone from this plane. ☺️
What I miss is not getting to know you.
Early in our acquaintance Mark invited me to watch this movie “and tell [him] what I think.”
He had already told me how he’d done a fair amount of climbing, trekked through Nepal, his love of the mountains and intensity for living close to nature.
I was in the hospital from the time I met him where I didn’t have Netflix. The movie would have to wait.
I was curious of course why he wanted my thoughts, in particular, on this movie; as opposed to just recommending as a good movie to watch.
Had he some part in its making, climbed in these regions, did he he rub shoulders with this climber, or just thought to share and chat about it as one of his interests that he was passionate about?
I’ll never know.
Yesterday I watched the movie.
There was this quality of feeling like I was having the experience of hanging out with Mark.
It was kinda cool.
Watching it now, it was nice to share this time, in a sense “with him”, as some last measure of experiencing him after he’s gone from this plane. ☺️
What I miss is not getting to know you.
RC Planes
March 12, 2022
by Ron Genise
Mary and I were walking through a random store in Myrtle Beach today. Hanging from the ceiling was an old biplane RC plane built from balsa wood and tissue paper.
It was mark who turned me on to string line and RC planes. I remember summers where we stayed up all night building them in my garage.
I enjoyed that memory today.
It was mark who turned me on to string line and RC planes. I remember summers where we stayed up all night building them in my garage.
I enjoyed that memory today.
Mark And the dogs
March 4, 2022
After his motorcycle crash last year, Marcos and I spent hours hiking in the hills near Santa Barbara. Enclosed is a photo from Cold Springs trail. I showed him this rock as it is the reason he and I, among other things, shared the same surgeon(!).
But that's another story.
What I remember fondly about Marcos is how easy he was to love. Even (perhaps especially) by animals. On as many as 20 occasions, people's dogs would run straight past me to greet Marcos first. Every time.
I choose to believe dogs see into people's souls.
Whatever his shortcomings, Marcos' soul will be missed most of all.
Fortunately, I also choose to believe it is with us whenever we like.
But that's another story.
What I remember fondly about Marcos is how easy he was to love. Even (perhaps especially) by animals. On as many as 20 occasions, people's dogs would run straight past me to greet Marcos first. Every time.
I choose to believe dogs see into people's souls.
Whatever his shortcomings, Marcos' soul will be missed most of all.
Fortunately, I also choose to believe it is with us whenever we like.
Truly missed
March 4, 2022
To my dear friends at the harbor group. My heart is heavy with the passing of our two beloved members. My brother stan. My dear friend marcos.
Stan was a quiet steady soothing presence and I am comforted knowing he was at peace at the end of his life.
When i think of my friend Marcos, i will remember how hard he laughed, how hard he cried, and how hard he battled his addiction. I am comforted knowing that he had made his amends to those closest to him.
The lyrics of the song by lewis capaldi “Before you go” come to my mind when i think of Marcos:
“You hurt under the surface, Like troubled waters running cold. Time can heal but this wont. Was there something I could’ve said to make your heart feel better?”
To both stanley and marcos i will close with a few lines of the famous poem by eliz frye: “I will not stand at your grave and weep, you are not there, you do not sleep. you are a 1000 winds that blow, you are the diamond glints upon the snow.
You are the sunlight on the ripened grain, you are the gentle rain. You are the soft stars that shine at night. I will not stand at your grave and cry, because you are not there, you did not die.”