63. A Post Card from Detroit

Date: September 1, 1983
Age: 6

While I am writing this card here in Detroit, you and Mommy are in Ohio. It is right next to here. I miss you both very much and I'll see you tomorrow.
Love, Daddy

My dad left for Arkansas yesterday for his next round of cancer treatment, and I wish him well. I spoke with him on the phone over the weekend, and apropos of nothing, he mentioned that he had been in Saskatchewan for work, and had sent me some postcards. I'm glad he's resuming the collection without my gentle prodding.

It turns out my friend Damian has been inspired by this blog, so much so that it served as a catalyst for some new material for his play, Twin Towers. I don't think I've ever been more flattered. We've known each other for over twenty years, but it was only through this blog did he learn some things about me, and perhaps understood me better as well. Similarly, I think he's been learning more about himself lately, understanding his emotions and life path, and he is fiercely passionate about his writing project, and once a production comes together, it will be awe-inspiring.

He asked me to write a recommendation for his application to the graduate photography program he begins today. I don't know if he used it, but here is something I said about him:

"Simply put, his photography expresses what he loves: being part of a different culture, acting as teacher to increase the quality of life of others, and in turn, receiving invaluable knowledge of what is important and held dear by people halfway across the world. His work shows a love affair with his surroundings. His skills show reverence for the people he photographs, and in exchange, I get the impression they welcome him into their world. It takes more than artistic ability to capture what Damian has on film—it takes compassion, a willingness to learn, and the acute understanding that the beauty he comes across does not belong to him, but is his to respect, absorb, and share...In a time when it may be silly to advise people to follow their dreams, Damian has understood how it can be done, and therefore I don’t think it is foolish of me to say he is one of my heroes."

So check out http://twintowersplay.blogspot.com when you have a chance. I believe that he has now raised the stakes for my blog, and so I'm committed to making it better. Not every postcard will evoke a memory, but perhaps when that happens, the entries should include more of myself, giving my father a rest.