Pirate John died this past weekend. He wasn't really a pirate. Nor was he a friend, exactly. He was, however, someone who impacted me by his regular presence in my life. We often rode our spin bikes side by side in Nancy's class at the 21rst Century Club in Cotati. Nancy's classes are fun in part because she gives some of us nicknames. John often would exclaim with a loud "ARRRRGGGH...." when he had hit some hard peak in his workout. The "Aargh" sounded like the quintessential Hollywood swashbuckler. From then on he was known as Pirate John by all of us in the class. We don't know anyone's last names and not many first names. But we all knew John. John had a dry and a bit of a wicked humor that only those close by would hear. As happens in gyms, equipment failure or stuck parts were more frequent then the gym could keep up with. John would bring in his WD 40 and wrench and just fix bikes as needed. He was a sculptor and retired art teacher from Sonoma State University. He was kind, warm, and present. He reminded me, once again our presence matters whether we know it or not. Please remember that today, especially when you have a trying moment. You matter. |
