So many folks seem to seek some redress of their past missteps, as the new year dawns. I am no exception.

In 1991, someone who was once pretty close to me badly stalled the Long-Eze experimental plane he was piloting. The plane crashed. This blew up two of his vertabrae, and now he uses a wheelchair to get around most of the time.

From the looks of his website, he appears to be doing rather well, and has adjusted physically, mentally, and spiritually to the new challenges in his life. He made a 12-minute documentary film (find out why it's that long), which seems to have been pretty well received. OK, he won a flippin' Award from THAT Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for it, among other honors. :-)

I have not been in touch with him since before his accident. I have not really tried to reach him since it, either. I found many easy excuses for not trying harder. I have to overcome these fears of my own.

I think the main reason was my fear of my own mortality. Chris' accident was one of those events that happens to a young person you know while you are still young that makes you wake up and realize that life can change in an instant. And maybe not just change, but that you are not invincible (as Alwin keeps saying, no one gets out of here alive).

I need to get better about keeping in touch with folks.

8:31:46 PM  [] blah blah blah'd on this