transititions are a real challenge

[visnuexe]

I've been out of a job since June. It seems as if it were only yesterday. I wonder what the rest of the world is doing out there, since I have not been in the heart beat of it all for a while. For example

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[vilallmighty]

Shit. You don't post much, so I can only HOPE you get this message, and fast. Timing is horrid right now and I'm sorry this is the best that I can muster. What follows is a copy/paste from what I sent to The Pope aka Tom.

Hey!

This is the worst damned timing, and with all of the chaos going on I only now thought to get in touch with you and others via the internet. The problem I have is that I don't know how to reach most of the right crowd, even by the internet. Mike called Me at 6am (Mike Griffin) 2 mornings ago at the worst possible time due to situations with a family emergency and then with a friend of Mine where I thought she was going to go into a coma over an overdose (LONG story).

When he called Me at 6am (which normally is not a big deal it's events, not a time of day thing) he said that he'd managed to flood his house again. He needed help, but I had no means of transportation and was in fact waiting on a call from a relative of Mine to whom I lent My car because of issues with a death in the family. As it was, I didn't know when I'd get that call because there was really no foresight when I lent it to her. I can walk to work. Anyway, I explained to him that I'd call back, but when I did after talking to her and knowing when I'd have the car I had a busy signal not because he's on the phone but because the house is flooded and affected his lines.

That afternoon after I got the car I went over to the house but it was locked tighter than fort knox (as usual) and he was asleep. Since then I can not get through by the phone, and I have been VERY busy with family matters, with work, and with concerns over a friend of Mine who I had good reasons to believe might slip into a coma and/or die. I am going to be leaving for My dayjob, and then I have My night job. The SOONEST I can get out to Mike's is after work and that's not until midnight. It's been TOO LONG all ready! If someone can get out there to give him a hand, provided he's awake to answer his door; that would be a great help. I intend to go there after work and make sure that he's okay and see what farther help I can provide, but he needs help before then too. If someone can put some of his towels down and then maybe switch them after a few hours I can do the same when I get in and hopefuly get some of that water out.

This is the worst goddamned time that this could happen, and I'm trying to pool together some help for him the only way that I know how at the moment. Please contact EVERYONE that you know that knows Mike. He called Me thinking I was the only person that can help, and sadly this time I was probably the worst person to pick. I know Mike, and he often thinks nobody likes him and won't even in an emergency call everyone. I can only assume he's talked to no one else. Please get word out. Thanks. I'm sorry to have such bad news as the first way to get in touch with you after forever, but this is important.

Received Your Message

[visnuexe]

I got your message a day later, Vill, and responded by going down to see what was up. The water was up all right, and our friend's spirits down. Since then things have progressively gotten better, and I think Scribus has begun to discover how many friends he really has. He is still not out of the woods yet with the Taxes on his home, which had you an opportunity to make good your promise even in part, would help him out inmeasurably. My answer to you is beware of who you carry as friends (in reference to the overdosing friend) lest they hold you back from where you really want to go.

Sorry to hear about the busy difficulties you have experienced with family matters. I hope they win through better, and you restore a closeness to them without compromising yourself to do it. Part of this is seeing them as adults, yourself as adult, and going from there without falling into the old parent-kid roles. You first have to BE an adult mature aware person to do this who has conquered the guilt, the strange roles you never wanted to assume in the first place.

This week Scribus' phone returned of its own accord, and we enjoyed spending Thanksgiving together listening to his music and munching on some larder I brought fresh out of the oven. While there other people called to check on him to see that he is having a good holiday, making offers of food and visits.

You have been in my thoughts lately when I picked up a book in English called The Latin Quarter, Une vue de la vie Boheme. It was written by a young man who was a starving artist in Paris in 1840 during the day of Victor Hugo and Baudelaire, and just about every important thinker, artist or philosopher known at the time. It was also the book that launched the opera La Boheme. About a young artist who whiled his youthful energies hopping from one place to the next, partying till the wee hours with his artist friends, and experiencing the wild abandon of life without regard to future. It is a charming story, and the lead character reminded me so much of you. Talented, chaotic, unaware of the future course of past actions, a fun-loving soul who encounters the adventurous abandon of youth. Unfortunately the book was a rare book (1929 edition) and sold on Ebay, but if you want a romantic look at your own life, look for it in the public library! A recent edition is titled The Bohemian Life, out in paperback in 2004, I think by Bantam Books. Have a great holiday, and remember, I always think highly of you.