Tuesday, Febuary 4, 2014

2/4/14

      It’s funny how life is. I took a book by a young girl dying of thyroid cancer to start me on this journey of recording my thoughts and feeling. I do this for my daughter Emma, she has become my world. She has embraced all the things I love reading, Dr. Who, Supernatural and other things that involve being a “Geek”. Back in my day “The 70’s” us geeks had to hide in our basements, playing “Dungeons and Dragons”. We were not acceptable. But this past weekend, I tagged along with my daughter to the book release celebration for “This Star Won’t Go Out”, a book that is a collection of Journal entries by Esther Earl. It is one of the funniest, heartwarming and gut wrenching books I have ever read. Esther was taken from us way too soon by that bastard Cancer. But she crammed in a hell of a lot of living in the 14 years she spent on the planet.

     I love my children dearly; both Emma and Luke have exceeded my expectations. They may be only 15 and 14 years old but they are wise to the ways of the world. Their Mom needed a break from the marriage when they were 4 and 3 years old and sent me packing. I’ve never returned because she won’t let me. In some strange way I still love her and probably always will.

After all she is the mother to my two children.

     But the years that I missed of them growing up on a daily basis haunts me even now. I lost out on the day to day things that are so formative in growing up, but they are good kids. Anyways back to this past weekend and the book release.

     Emma has been very active with a group called the “Nerdfighters” it seems that a lot of the kids that she is associated with are also part of this movement “to prevent World Suck”. The Boston Whovians, The Boston Nightvale Coalition, and the kids from Grubb Street all are part of the “Nerdfighters” It was through this group that I first learn of Esther Earl and her battle with cancer after she was taken from us. Emma was excited when she learn of this local book release celebration and asked if we could go. Of course I had time to save the money for the tickets and they were very inexpensive. For $30.00 we got two tickets and a copy of the book.

     I thought that it would be a shake your hand, get your book signed and off you went. But it wasn’t, I was in store for a huge surprise. This celebration was live streaming to the world via The Vlog Brothers, there were musical performances by Harry and The Potters, readings of the book by Esther’s sisters and a Q & A period by Esther’s parents. Never in my life have I met nicer kids than this group that had gathered to celebrate the book. The love that was in the air was electric. People had come from all over the country to be here. But it was the final song by Harry and The Potters that had me in tears. The band had invited everyone on stage to gather around the piano and sing a song for Esther. It was a moving experience, it moved me so that I bought my own copy of the book.  After all was said and done I dropped Emma of at her house and went home. The next 18 hours was spend reading this book. I haven’t done that for years.

     From what I experienced that night and the book that I read, I do not have any fear for the future. If these kids are representatives of the people who will be in charge someday there is no fear. I was blown away. No need to worry about the past because that is exactly what it is….the past.  You can’t do anything about it, but the future is not written at all. Make the most of it, it took this weekend for me to learn this. These kids taught me something.