Y'all know I haven't visited around much lately. I dropped by the *blog* of my old buddy, Alan, the other day and was startled to read a post by his wife saying that he had been critically injured while riding his bicycle. That was back at the end of April, and he is in a long term care facility now. In her own words, he is "minimally responsive." I was devastated to read that this hero of mine is suffering.

When I first began this b**gging thing three years ago, a whole new way of experiencing life and meeting people was opened up to me. Like many newbies, the first months were spent ranting and whining about this or that in a rather self absorbed way. Alan is one of the first bloggers that I met and we immediately bonded for several reasons, the biggest one being our disdain for the invasion of Iraq and the political climate that spawned it. As a career Air Force veteran, he knew what was up and was not the least bit impressed with the pseudo-patriotic flagwaving that got us there. His passion for conservation and preservation of natural gifts was evident in every piece that he posted. An avid hiker, he often spoke about taking long walks with his dog and the little pleasures that most people miss in this hustle bustle world of ours. Add newspaper columnist to that resume and you see a man who is full of appreciation for the simple things in life.

But there was another bond, a karmic one, if you will. His wife Monica was a double lung transplant recipient, and her lungs came from...guess where? Umm..yep. Tennessee, the good old volunteer state. It was a long and arduous recovery for her requiring lengthy hospitalization and much travel for them as a couple, but she survived and returned to her job as a dean at Penn State. As I re-read the campus article detailing her long fight today, I could only think about how her experience was surely preparation for what she is dealing with in Alan's situation right now. I'd appreciate if y'all would drop by and give them a word of encouragement.

Keep the faith. ^j^