Don’t look at me - people on last week’s feed asked for this as a theme...

When: Monday nite 2/6, 7:30ET (doors open @7 for community hang)

Where: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXQlPKunGec

Who gets 10%: https://www.dana-farber.org/ A world-leading cancer battling institute here in Boston.

http://paypal.me/vancevancevance or
https://venmo.com/vancevancevance or
VanceFunder P.O. Box 17,
Arlington, MA 02476 for this web-groovery.
Pay or not, up to you. Let’s stay connected.

CD AVAIL IN A FEW WEEKS Did you donate? Great!! **YOUR DONATION DOES NOT = AUTOMATIC CD TO YOU**, as the taxes would massacre me. So go on and buy the CD for at least $5 and thanks. Or I can give it to you for free if you ask.

-----------

I can never remember his name - It’s something Mediterranean, a name you’d readily know with a soft consonant letter missing, like Darren with the “n” missing and a hard “t” added instead. Always out, being the most amazing animal dad with his uber skittish rescued-from-the-south dog. I pass their house running up that steep hill Hemlock, his wife often waving from the porch where she sat with their son with CP in braces or a chair.
And here we were in the P.O., a few people apart in line. Is it Maurit? Garit?

“Nice to see you!!”, I opened.

“Great to see you too!”, said he.

“And I’ll ask in no particular order of importance, how’s that dog?”

“Great! Better with people every day” he says with some pride.

“Your son?”

“He’s great!”

“And finally, your wife” I wink.

“Well, we lost her in October. A very fast moving cancer.”

My legs went weak and I sagged at the counter while the postal employee checked the “no” box for volatile substances in my package and finished the transaction without me looking.

I don’t really recall much else but me stepping to the line in front of all these people and just hugging this guy. “Sorry for this, it’s all I got”.

“No worries - a hug? I’ll take it about now. Thanks”

I recall driving up Mass Ave, dazed. At the intersection of Park Ave a car was about to turn left and the truck was about to turn right, all in front of me. The truck guy waved the car on. The car guy waved the truck on. The truck guy waved back the truck-wave version of “Oh no, I insist, you go”. Car guy was all “No way, mine is clearly a left turn in front of you" with his wave off.

Another round of same, totally devoid of aggravation or anger, and the truck guy finally went, capitulating hand up, smiling. All of that took an eternity, I sat there forever, like 15 seconds, and that’s when I finally started to cry.

In a world where I’m more afraid than ever to be stopped where 2 officers exit a cruiser, and the mom of a kid with CP and wife of a man who gently nurtured a dog back from the brink can just die, I proclaim we can all first and foremost just be fucking nice to any and every anyone and I swear to god I’ll etch this man’s name in my skin to remember it the next time.

I can’t tell you how to respond here. I only ask you not post the care heart emoji. I don’t need that. Just a thumbs up or even a heart to say you’ll be nice, even to those that don’t seems to deserve it. Particularly them. Thats how we move forward. Thx.

vg