The News Comes Fiber Optic-Style, Hardly In The Nick Of Time.

I thought I was pretty much inured to the quirks of digital communication. I’ve had a cell phone since 1998, and I’d been using e-mail since 1993 and the world wide web since 1994. I thought there was nothing new under the digital sun, nothing that would surprise me. Well, I got a big surprise today in my inbox. When I checked my gmail this morning I found the following message, forwarded from my brother, waiting for me:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bruce Joseph
Date: Nov 27, 2005 10:55 PM
Subject: Aunt Alma
To: xxxxxx@aptalaska.net, xxxxxxxxx@sill.army.mil, xxxxxxx@aol.com, xxxxx@adacomp.net, xxxxxx@arbuckleonline.com, xxxxxxxxxxx@aipf-vietnam.org, xxxxxxxxx@gmail.com, xxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com, xxxxxxxx@comcast.net, xxxxxxx@brightok.net, xxxxxxx@brightok.net, xxxxxxxxx@aol.com, xxxxxxxxx@sbcglobal.net

Dear All
Nursing Home nurse just called me to report Aunt Alma has just died. The nurse was unable to get Nate to answer the phone. I am going from OKC to Ardmore, now to tell Nate.
I talked to Nate about 6:00 pm and he said he had not visited her today. She has had several good days lately.
She has given me instructions for services and people to notify. Craddock Funeral Home in Ardmore will be providing services and burial will be in Ringling Cemetery. If anyone has any choice for day and or time, please let me know and we will try to accommodate.
You may e-mail me or telephone 405.xxx.xxxx. I carry phone and pda with me and will check e-mail periodically.

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I’ve always hated Thanksgiving, even before I was a grumbly vegan chewing on steamed broccoli, but I’m glad we made a big deal of it this year. On Thursday my dad, my mom, Jeb and I went to Ardmore to have lunch with Nate and to see Alma. Alma was the matriarch of our little family, and I know she loved us all very much. For the last 15 years she was the closest to a grandmother that I had, and it is heartbreaking to think of her and Nate separated. Like so many of us, I miss her already.

You usually never think about whether or not this time will be the last time you see someone, but sometimes it is. Both Alma and Nate reached their 90’s and both were having a surprisingly good day when we saw them. Still, I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday thinking about them and about growing old. Honestly, I’m not sold on the idea. But I guess it beats the alternative.

I don’t know what I’m feeling right now, exactly, or even why. Oh well. Time to put on my game face and go to work.

[Yeah, I’m still going to post this at xanga.com/moontos and at blog.myspace.com/moontos]