Blast from the Past

So there I was, working on the next group of chapters for Sociology when a blast from the past walked into my office.

John, a guy I had met up in Athens as a member of the SCA and as a member of the Robins Crossing Historical Village, was helping a friend buy up books across campus.

So he sat down and we caught up. It's been at least two years since I had seen him. He's helping out the friend this spring and hopefully this summer, he'll be teaching English in France with his new girlfriend. The last I had heard from him, John was getting divorced. I didn't hear the details but I can imagine it wasn't pretty.

He finished his Masters in Ecological studies at OU and afterwards went on a hike. A very cool hike. He and a buddy walked the Appalachian Trail. I don't know how much of the trail he hiked (forgot to ask) but he did say that he and a buddy had their parents ship them packages to various 'drop points' along the way so they always had pre-dried food for them to eat.

Someone tells me that that they took a few months to hike the Appalachian Trail and I ask how he handled the logistics and did he carry a journal (or photo journal). I know. I have a problem.

John was just a good guy all around. We had a lot of very interesting conversations while up at the Forge. He's one of the people that I have been curious about in the years since I stopped heading up to Athens as frequently. I always knew that he would get into some interesting things; he just seemed the type.

I hope things turn out very well from him.

-Tom