This date is always one of mixed emotions for me.
It was on this date that my friend Rodney Lain took his own life. Besides being a dear friend and confidant, Rodney was also one of the most ambitious writers I knew. His take on the Apple scene, at a time when it needed champions, was daring and original. He had no problem writing the hard truths others feared to write. He would even go so far to work weekends at a computer retailer to "convert the sinners" by enticing those looking at PCs to buy Macs. He enjoyed being a truth teller and freedom fighter. But he also had personal battles that were too much for him to shoulder. So he took the only option he felt he had to fight for his own freedom. I miss him.
Today is also my wedding anniversary. I met Bethany through a mutual friend. Her Mac’s hard drive died, she was having a rough time, and he asked me to help her with it for free. I agreed and we met at his place. I had a horrible flu and was a bit too fuzzy from cold meds to notice how lovely she was. Thankfully, she insisted on thanking me by inviting me out for a play. We went out for coffee a few times after that, became friends, and soon enough realized there was something much more. She is funny and wickedly smart and clever and passionate. But most of all she is my best friend.
I’m thankful that I have had either of these remarkable people in my life at all. In too many ways to measure, they’ve made me a better me. What more can one ask for in a friend?