Asking for sympathy or not, I’m still sorry about your cousin. I always wish my cousins and I were closer, but as most of them live in Russia there’s only so much I can do about it. Still, cousins are a special relationship.
"So it’s not a rock tour, but it’s going to be close enough.
These things are worth taking note of. I hope you agree."
I read the review by Ms Berry and returnedcto finish your blog. This sentence jumped out near your ending sentences with us readers.
No, perhaps not the rock star you dreamed of, but definitely a rock to your people. Rock stars can have fleeting careers. A rock to your tribe is much more solid.
Continue on your path ... and prayers for you it blesses you deeply -- and others on the fringe as you make your steps.
In what friggin world are you NOT a rockstar? Whatever world it is, it ain't this one, bro.
My condolences for the loss of your cousin. He introduced you to D&D. I try to visit the cousin who introduced me to KISS (he painted their faces on his bedroom wall at Grandma's, and I was so mad when I inherited that room, and found that it was painted over) but I know in the end I will feel like I never saw him enough.
It was so nice running into you at the post office.
Some words of advice.
Contact your friend, the band member.
I decided to a few years ago to contact someone out of the blue, who meant a lot to me.
She had just been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
She was so thrilled to hear from me.
My mom died in February. I was back in Illinois for her burial.
My friend from 40 years ago, contacted and we got together. It was like we had not been apart for 40 years. She was the one who initiated contact, as I had lost track of her.
My point being, don’t wait to contact your friend. If your friend wants nothing to do with you, at least you tried. Don’t wait and regret.
My friends above, said that after they retired , their goal is to contact people from their past life who meant so much to them. Of all the people that they have re contacted with,they said only one person had told them to go fly a kite. Only not in those kind words.
I don’t expect this friend to ever be my best friend again, but I cherish the thought of how nice they are, how I picked good friends and how easy, though difficult, to connect again.
I'm sorry to hear of your loss Chris - I know how close we can be with our cousins. We did the same in the theatre in Missoula when the folks were in college at U of M. Sometimes my sisters and I would spend the entire day moving from movie to movie. And darn! I would have come said Hi and increased your comfort level had I known you were at the RMTLC Health Conference. I live here and didn't know it was happening until it already was! Hoping to see you the next time! Have fun on your book tour and maybe whip out your guitar at one of the locations and rock on! haha
I’m sorry both losses - the actual loss of your cousin and the loss of the chance to ever change that - you really expressed something I’ve encountered too much in the last year - thank you.
You should contact your band mate (my humble opinion). I wouldn’t have a clue if you should, or if he wants you to, if it would be a long-lost reunion, or just a meh. All I do know is I lost a friend a few years ago and will forever regret not getting in touch when I was in his neighborhood, just before he passed. And also I’m sorry for your loss
I recently went to the Midwest for a reunion of old classmates I last saw in 6th grade, with clear memories of them, of the time and place…we picked right up from those days, moving into the present. They are still the nice humans I sensed they were back then at age 12. Now, I have retired, yet familiar friends who didn’t let my intuitive self down after all these 50 years past.
Sometimes reconnecting is good, sometimes it doesn’t work out; I know about both. We shouldn’t be hard on ourselves, though…reasons for everything. 💜
I'm sorry to hear about the passings of your cousin Casey and your friend/band mate. For me, those long term & formative relationships are noteworthy and cause 💔whether recently renewed or dusty with time.
You truly honored Casey when you told the movie theater story about the two of you at the beginning of your compelling book. When I think of your book, I recall most of all that you brought Chief Little Shell back to life, honoring all he did for his people. Just as I was expecting, you told, in the best of ways, the true story that needed to be told about your people. I'm grateful to have found your blog several years ago and been witness to all the much-deserved good that has come to you since then.
My first cousin whom I am grateful for, lives in the same town where I live. We didn't grow up together but have lived here since the 1980s. I bought two copies of your book and she is now reading the unsigned copy. Our public library is awaiting the copy they ordered.
I would also prefer to address or read or sing to a crowd than wander among them and try to make conversation. It seems paradoxical, especially given my own deep introversion--how deep yours is I do not really know--but I have always been completely flabbergasted at the way an audience or classroom would, for the most part, just hand me authority because I was willing to climb up on stage or behind a lectern and put on whatever schtick the context seemed to call for.
And to the degree it went reasonably well, I loved them for it. I hope they have loved me a little bit. It is too easy to recall the handful of people who would leave in the middle of the set or the very few students who projected their daddy issues onto me. Most did neither of those things. I miss them.
Your book arrived about ten? days ago? I cannot reckon time at this point. I chuckled at the inscription, already aware that I hadn't left a prolix comment in some time. So here I am, fully caffeinated! I need to run some errands though, so I cannot go on and on and on. I hope this will suffice.
I am rotating you with James Baldwin, whom I have tried to teach but much of whose work I still have not fully read. It is an apt juxtaposition: even his angriest, his most polemically devastating writing is absolutely illuminated by generosity and compassion. As is yours.
I wish he were still here. There are so many I wish were still here.
Asking for sympathy or not, I’m still sorry about your cousin. I always wish my cousins and I were closer, but as most of them live in Russia there’s only so much I can do about it. Still, cousins are a special relationship.
"So it’s not a rock tour, but it’s going to be close enough.
These things are worth taking note of. I hope you agree."
I read the review by Ms Berry and returnedcto finish your blog. This sentence jumped out near your ending sentences with us readers.
No, perhaps not the rock star you dreamed of, but definitely a rock to your people. Rock stars can have fleeting careers. A rock to your tribe is much more solid.
Continue on your path ... and prayers for you it blesses you deeply -- and others on the fringe as you make your steps.
In what friggin world are you NOT a rockstar? Whatever world it is, it ain't this one, bro.
My condolences for the loss of your cousin. He introduced you to D&D. I try to visit the cousin who introduced me to KISS (he painted their faces on his bedroom wall at Grandma's, and I was so mad when I inherited that room, and found that it was painted over) but I know in the end I will feel like I never saw him enough.
Thank you for sharing about Casey <3
Chris
Condolences for the loss of your cousin.
I am so enjoying “Becoming Little Shell”
It was so nice running into you at the post office.
Some words of advice.
Contact your friend, the band member.
I decided to a few years ago to contact someone out of the blue, who meant a lot to me.
She had just been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
She was so thrilled to hear from me.
My mom died in February. I was back in Illinois for her burial.
My friend from 40 years ago, contacted and we got together. It was like we had not been apart for 40 years. She was the one who initiated contact, as I had lost track of her.
My point being, don’t wait to contact your friend. If your friend wants nothing to do with you, at least you tried. Don’t wait and regret.
My friends above, said that after they retired , their goal is to contact people from their past life who meant so much to them. Of all the people that they have re contacted with,they said only one person had told them to go fly a kite. Only not in those kind words.
I don’t expect this friend to ever be my best friend again, but I cherish the thought of how nice they are, how I picked good friends and how easy, though difficult, to connect again.
The same has happened with my husband.
How do we find your book tour schedule?
I am curious as well, I will be in PNW soon and may be near one of your stops.
I'm sorry to hear of your loss Chris - I know how close we can be with our cousins. We did the same in the theatre in Missoula when the folks were in college at U of M. Sometimes my sisters and I would spend the entire day moving from movie to movie. And darn! I would have come said Hi and increased your comfort level had I known you were at the RMTLC Health Conference. I live here and didn't know it was happening until it already was! Hoping to see you the next time! Have fun on your book tour and maybe whip out your guitar at one of the locations and rock on! haha
Sweet tribute to Cousin Casey, especially this post's title. 🩵 Condoléance, Chris.
"I never became a true rock star but I do write books and no one tells me what to do." Ha, writing this down.
I’m sorry both losses - the actual loss of your cousin and the loss of the chance to ever change that - you really expressed something I’ve encountered too much in the last year - thank you.
You should contact your band mate (my humble opinion). I wouldn’t have a clue if you should, or if he wants you to, if it would be a long-lost reunion, or just a meh. All I do know is I lost a friend a few years ago and will forever regret not getting in touch when I was in his neighborhood, just before he passed. And also I’m sorry for your loss
Swap you for standing in crowds! It’s my safe space (or realllly far away under a tree). Sending 🫶🏽 for your cuz and everyone in his circle
Wow, Chris. Much to think about here…
I recently went to the Midwest for a reunion of old classmates I last saw in 6th grade, with clear memories of them, of the time and place…we picked right up from those days, moving into the present. They are still the nice humans I sensed they were back then at age 12. Now, I have retired, yet familiar friends who didn’t let my intuitive self down after all these 50 years past.
Sometimes reconnecting is good, sometimes it doesn’t work out; I know about both. We shouldn’t be hard on ourselves, though…reasons for everything. 💜
I'm sorry to hear about the passings of your cousin Casey and your friend/band mate. For me, those long term & formative relationships are noteworthy and cause 💔whether recently renewed or dusty with time.
Thanks for sharing the news.
You truly honored Casey when you told the movie theater story about the two of you at the beginning of your compelling book. When I think of your book, I recall most of all that you brought Chief Little Shell back to life, honoring all he did for his people. Just as I was expecting, you told, in the best of ways, the true story that needed to be told about your people. I'm grateful to have found your blog several years ago and been witness to all the much-deserved good that has come to you since then.
My first cousin whom I am grateful for, lives in the same town where I live. We didn't grow up together but have lived here since the 1980s. I bought two copies of your book and she is now reading the unsigned copy. Our public library is awaiting the copy they ordered.
All the best to you and your loved ones!
I would also prefer to address or read or sing to a crowd than wander among them and try to make conversation. It seems paradoxical, especially given my own deep introversion--how deep yours is I do not really know--but I have always been completely flabbergasted at the way an audience or classroom would, for the most part, just hand me authority because I was willing to climb up on stage or behind a lectern and put on whatever schtick the context seemed to call for.
And to the degree it went reasonably well, I loved them for it. I hope they have loved me a little bit. It is too easy to recall the handful of people who would leave in the middle of the set or the very few students who projected their daddy issues onto me. Most did neither of those things. I miss them.
Your book arrived about ten? days ago? I cannot reckon time at this point. I chuckled at the inscription, already aware that I hadn't left a prolix comment in some time. So here I am, fully caffeinated! I need to run some errands though, so I cannot go on and on and on. I hope this will suffice.
I am rotating you with James Baldwin, whom I have tried to teach but much of whose work I still have not fully read. It is an apt juxtaposition: even his angriest, his most polemically devastating writing is absolutely illuminated by generosity and compassion. As is yours.
I wish he were still here. There are so many I wish were still here.
You coming to Seattle on your rock tour?