Please read this.

My usual ride home for lunch was sans vehicle today, so I had to make do. I ran down to Jack in the Box, and grabbed a bag of grease. Jumbo Jack with cheese. Not bad, but the good stuff, what I really went for, were the spring rolls ( what everyone calls 'egg rolls'). They are the shit, I kid you not. If you've never had them, I highy suggest you do.

But, I don't want to trivialize this post by talking about my lunch. This is going to get a bit weighty, so bear with me:

Almost every day, I get a 'strength in adversity', or 'shining example of hope' chain letter. I read with my cynic's eye, looking for phrases that scream internet urban legend. They're usually variations on a theme, and are almost immediately deleted, half unread. I never forward them. Today, however I recieved a different kind of email. It's a 'strenght of faith' email, to be sure, but with one small twist. I know the person that sent it. We went to High School together. I read this letter this morning, and it affected me deeply. The text of the letter will follow.

After this post, I will be sending copies of this letter to my family and friends. If it affects you as deeply as it did me, I would encourage you to as well. Or at least send them a link to this post.

An open letter to the class of 1984

I have to write this letter to each of you. It is a letter to explain that life is precious and
I have had an interesting life. Like most it has had its ups and downs. When we graduated we all had hopes and dreams. We went our different ways, and now we have had a resurgence of many of our childhood feelings during this time of our reunion. We were given the opportunity to get together and swap snap shots of who we are now and what we have accomplished.

I had my dreams and I chose a demanding life dedicated to helping others. I have had the opportunity to see the very best and the absolute worst that people can do to each other. In the spring of 1994 my life changed in a split second from a drunk driver. He stole my childhood, memories, and much of my future. You see I was doing what I love by caring for a 5-year-old child in an ambulance when we were hit causing the ambulance to roll. I was thrown knocked unconscious, broke bones in my neck and back and was saved from being in a wheel chair by a bulletproof vest. Our bodies are amazing in so many ways. When I awoke it was instinctual to do what I knew and that was to help the 11 people that were involved in this incident. My partner and I helped the others until help arrived. It was at the hospital where there was a large black hole called my memories. The head injury I sustained took my childhood and left me with short-term memory problems. I spend many hours agonizing about the people that I grew up with. All that is there is occasional snap shot of people, things, and an occasional emotion. If I were to meet you on a street somewhere I would be meeting most of you for the first time. From time to time I look at our school year book and wonder.

Since that time, I have continued to work doing what I love. I have a loving wife who accepts that I don’t always introduce her to people that I know because I cannot remember their name. I have created my coping strategies to get by this handicap. As I always say, learn something new every day. It does not matter what it is, just learn.

I have a new baby girl, and she embodies my childhood. To look at the world through the eyes of a child is a very special gift. She looks to me for safety, and we get to learn from each other to explore what the world has in store for her future.

The last 10 years has been an adventure. It has been filled with anxiety of my past. But it has given me many mountains to conquer and new horizons to see.

That is my story. I would like to hear from you if you get the opportunity. I would like to meet you all again, many for the first time.

Be safe.

Sincerely

Ron Harmon.

That's the letter. Pretty heady stuff. I may not post for a day or two. I think this deserves the front page by it's self, at least for a couple days. Be safe, my friends.

Later,

T.