OT - one last time; thoughts

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Standing on a stone

Awash in eternity

Time flows all around

-------

Kit's in his room, sitting cross-legged on his bed, listening to old rock 'n roll. He's accompanied by friends looking out of photographs on his walls. Pictures of slightly goofy looking kids in baseball uniforms. Little girls with too-large caps, and big guys with too-large smiles. They're all shy and proud and beautiful. The Beachboys have the stage.

"Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama,"

Y2K will have to happen without him. He lives in a different continuum; one of touch and texture I cannot fathom. His emotions are not swayed by politics, his capacity for love not hindered by prejudice. His afffection can not be bought anymore than it can be refused. Strangers look into the mirror of his face and most often see there the things they like about themselves.

"Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go?"

He doesn't have a calendar. He doesn't know or care what number mankind has assigned to the darkness after supper tomorrow. He will think his little thoughts and dream his monumental dreams without regard to the compliance of computer systems. He watches niether CNN nor Wall Street. But he comes up behind me silently, when I'm sitting in this chair with a heavy heart, and kisses me on top of my head.

"We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow"

I've held Kit's hand for almost twenty years now. His world has it's own darkness. One of inferior retinas, more immediate and certain than Y2K. He used to run on the beach, where he knew there was only smoothness, but now he prefers to walk hand in hand with me and listen to the sea and to my quiet ramblings. Most who see us think that I am guiding him. Only he and I aware it is the other way around.

"That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo"

-----------

Skyrockets tonight

Tomorrow a new darkness?

Lovers' eyes adjust

------

The sunllight is cold in the backwater ripples.

A cold that sneaks in through your eyes

And freezes your heart.

It's that kind of day

When you wonder if your life will ever begin.

Or will you join the immigrants huddled on the docks

In strange hats and heavy dressses;

Strangers waiting to rest here

in the ripples of the backwater,

in the sunlight cold of the backwater ripples.

---

To each and all of you, my regards, and hopes of peace.

Lon

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), December 30, 1999

Answers

Lon, that is beautiful. A gift of the soul and I thank you for it.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), December 30, 1999.

Once again; Outstanding Ron!

-- CD (not@here.com), December 30, 1999.

"Scuse the typo... make that "Lon"

-- CD (not@here.com), December 30, 1999.

Thank you. Pam

-- Pamela (jpjgood@penn.com), December 30, 1999.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), December 31, 1999.


I am honored (and very pleased) by each of your responces.

Claudia, you can call me anything you like, I know your heart. And GB, you just better call me (you owe me an email)

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), December 31, 1999.


Ya done did it agin there Lon. Thanks. Maybe now I can get some sleep.

-- (sonofdust@up.late), December 31, 1999.

Lon,

Thank you (again and again). Your poetry and musings are always a delight. Take care!

-- Don (whytocay@hotmail.com), December 31, 1999.


Beautiful, Lon.

I hope you have a wonderfully Happy Year - not just while it's new, but all year long.

Please don't let this be your last thoughts - I'd really miss them!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), January 01, 2000.


Whew,

The forum is moving so fast, this thread is buried before I can even respond to the posts.

I lurked here some last night and again this morning. I seems there are a lot of people upset on the fourm today. Some of us are mad that everyone didn't just listen to them (since we have electricity, they therefore, must be more intellegent than anyone else). Some of us are screaming that it is all a cover-up (the incompetent media is none-the-less up to such a task). Some of us are upset that nothing happened at the stroke of midnight (many of us deep-down, wish to see the world change, and Y2K offered an catalist, although an uncontrolled one, for such change). And of course, there are those of us transparent enough to line up early, simply to stand on the soapbox the forum provides and say they were here all along just to observe the abberant mentality of an "experiment" such as our little cyber-community.

But you know what, I think after the noise has died down there will still be a lot of us here for the same reasons we came in the first place. We will continue to observe the world about us, particularly the effects and possible outcomes of Y2K, as it swirls about our local as well as our global community. We will continue to learn from each other, help each other, and just perhaps, appreciate each other.

But, whatever the future of this forum, or of our other various communities, I for one, have been humbled, awed, and educted by the people here. Not just the programmers and engineers, but also the housewives and cab drivers, the secretaries and bankers, the farmers and clerks. I've been energized by the enthusiam of the young, and encouraged with the wisdom of those older.

I will be here for a while more, and should I ever again have a thought, perhaps I'll also have the impudence to impose it upon you all.

Thanks to you each for your kind regards, for myself and for Kit, enjoy the blessing of the day.

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), January 01, 2000.



Oh Lon, your words are like a beautiful painting! Since I've been married two decades and have seven kids, it's probably safe to tell you that I love you! I am also grateful that you have shared your gift with us. In my heart, I am humming along with Kit now...

We are exhausted and happy at my house. (With seven kids, we always have a post holiday crash time!) We were moved by the visual montage of celebrations globally on television, and inspired to hear that there was a window of time when crime drastically dipped...as my son commented, like a brief moment of brotherhood and peace on earth. I am extremely thankful that there have been no terrorist actions (to my knowledge). I personally never expected anything dramatic at rollover, but come what may, we have done what we are humanly capable of to provide for and protect our little family. This meant sacrifice, stress and major changes, but in the process my family has grown much closer, I've learned new and interesting things, and made some wonderful cyber friends. We had talked about getting out of CA for years, and Y2K concerns gave us the impetus to just do it.

Thanks again Lon...

Happy New Year Yourdonites!

-- Mumsie (shezdremn@aol.com), January 01, 2000.


Mumsie,

Imade the same observation as your son. I know it may have been somewhat contrived, but for hour after hour, we were treated to people celebrating a single event. People all over the world. People of different colors. People of different languages. For one brief evening, there was no talk of war, no school shootings, no disasters, no catastrophy. Just people celebrating a common joy of accomplishment in the man-made concept of time. (Too bad we can't seem to find that on our forum)

I didn't know what to feel as the moments rolled by. I felt kinda smart, and kinda dumb, kinda scared, and kinda relieved. Three days later, I'm mostly kinda thankfull. To men like Yourdon and Hamasaki, who made us aware; to the people on this forum who sustained me, taught me, argued with me, laughed with me, and humbled me. But mostly to those unknown to me, who worked with diligence and without recognition. I hope they are up to the continued task.

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.net), January 04, 2000.


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