Woah. Wasn’t expecting a few freight trains from all directions hitting the head and, I’ll admit, even the heart. This was the exact inverse of the “clickbait hot take on an empty/empty adjacent subject”. The essay is back. This is writing that is almost closer to music than words and ideas. What a great tribute to your friend, life and to much more besides.
An epitaph both simple and profound. Worthy of your friend and a worthy pursuit for all. Not likely to be notched on a stone anywhere with my name on it. But as long as it's etched on the hearts of the people I love, I'll be good with that.
No, Doc. I missed that. Didn't get to read 'sandwich' until late last night and haven't had time to get through to the end of the comments yet. The invasion force from Chicago, led by my youngest daughter, landed last Sunday (along with a member of their canine unit), with the second wave arriving midweek. Took them until yesterday to declare this little island secure and decamp back to Chicago. So, I was a little busy in the trenches in between.
Thanks for thinking of us. Sorry to hear you got bit by the bug. Hope your recovery is quick and complete. Will keep a good thought for you.
Great story. I enjoyed reading about Tom in your “Doubting Thomas’’ post. My sympathies to his family. He sounds like a great guy who will be missed terribly by those who loved him. Grief is a messy thing that we all have to deal with in our own way. Be thankful you had him in the first place. It’s hard to do.
I was lucky enough to see Warren Zevon once in a small club in Pittsburgh. Great songwriter. I remember his last show on Letterman. I was amazed at his composure & attitude. Hopefully we can all go out with that grace & humor that these men had.
Thank you so much, Matt ~ for this beautifully written piece! I had to read through it a second tme, as my eyes were blurred through tears. These are the real gems in life, the ones that etch an indelible little signature onto our hearts, like a moveable feast that we carry with us forever.
I am sorry for the loss of your new old friend! The passages you have shared lends a glimpse into a wonderful journey of friendship, as fleeting as it was. It reminded me of how many times through the kindness of strangers, we can often find some of the brightest lights and the best kinship.
I may have to find a pint of that Black Raspberry ice-cream and read this for a third time. This might very well be my favorite substack of yours..thus far. 🙏💙
Thank you for the warm greetings ~ I am happy to meet you as well! The Queen Charlotte's must have been an amazing experience while you were here in Canada. Sending you and your husband a traditional Canadian 'how's it going, eh?' this Sunday morning :-)
I am keeping a keen eye on all of you and hoping that the march toward Gilead will soon stop. It it utterly heartbreaking to watch. We are certainly not immune from any of this either; as was demonstrated last February with the convoy/occupation of Ottawa. It shook me to my core to see a Confederate Flag in our Capitol and the desecration of monuments. The cracks are beginning to appear in this country too.
This is one of the very few spaces where I feel safe to express myself without an onslaught of the vitriol that is out there. Not that I have contributed much to the comment section here at Slack Tide, but I so enjoy reading through the banter back and forth. I believe that if we can all agree to disagree, but also meet somewhere in the middle, compromise and learn something from each other ~ we are all better for it. Slack Tide is my elixir for this and so much more.
I, too, look forward to more exchanges between us! The great white north is living up to its name; we are about to go into a deep freeze. We have been very fortunate with milder temps ~ I was still picking tomatoes off the vine up until the end of October!
Why thank you! No sense ripping anything up while it's still growing on the vine. I do bring some of my cherished flowers in for sure and I have been learning to harvest all kinds of seeds. It's quite the learning curve on all of the different flowers. I just received my Vessey's Seed catalogue in the mail on Friday, so my agenda tonight is browsing through all of the glorious choices. Or as I would like to say when browsing through this particular catalogue: Want it, got it, need it, love it.
Just had rat he most wonderful Thanksgiving ever with my four grandkids (1 to 5) here in Jacksonville MD. Then read this. Now I can really say that I have had the best day ever. What a great piece. What courage. Amazing
Thanks, Matt, that was lovely. I’m more on Tom’s side of the religious debate, but I value different viewpoints - like from my uncle, a catholic priest. And Warren, one of my all time favorites. “keep me in your heart” brings tears to my eyes, makes it hard to play (I’ve worked out a version on my mandolin that I can struggle through). But anyway, thanks for bringing good tears to my eyes…
Nov 24, 2022·edited Nov 25, 2022Liked by Matt Labash
Your essays are like “This Is Us” -- each one an emotional workout, copious Kleenexes required. (If you haven’t watched this series, it’s some of the best episodic writing and acting out there.)
Thanks for this on Thanksgiving.
Enjoy every Slack Tide.
P.S. Your wife should change her name to Anaylyn. It’s beautiful both to look at and hear.
Beautiful, Matt. My mother-in-law just passed from COPD. Watching that up-close, Tom’s ability to stay in good cheer is all the more remarkable to me. It is a brutal, relentless condition. Glad you guys found each other, and grateful for your ability to share the friendship with us. Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you, one again, for your elegant, compassionate writing. The Wind is one of my favorite CDs. I've lost a few good friends since Warren passed away. I always play the CD, singing along with it and bawling my eyes out. Always very cathartic. Sounds like a weird compliment, but it is absolutely the best set of songs to get to the heart of the matter, the celebration of life. And your memorial of Tom is wonderful.... what a tribute. Great way to kick off several days of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!
…having troubles reading through tears! strange how we are graced with wisdom from odd places
“ I refuse to kiss the rancid ass of despair” baahaahaaa baahaahaaa
Susan (cancer tried to kiss) Garner
Woah. Wasn’t expecting a few freight trains from all directions hitting the head and, I’ll admit, even the heart. This was the exact inverse of the “clickbait hot take on an empty/empty adjacent subject”. The essay is back. This is writing that is almost closer to music than words and ideas. What a great tribute to your friend, life and to much more besides.
People look at this stuff in different ways . And that's ok we're all different .. Guy had a helluva outlook . I hope I do as well
To be able to stick your finger up and say "fuck you" to the grim reaper is worth something
well spoken
Beautiful.
Thanks, I really needed a good cry...
"But he left a mark."
An epitaph both simple and profound. Worthy of your friend and a worthy pursuit for all. Not likely to be notched on a stone anywhere with my name on it. But as long as it's etched on the hearts of the people I love, I'll be good with that.
your name is etching itself
on the hearts of many here
including me, Michael.
That horse loving Trosino
is not a silent singer
as he travels between the eternities
Can't carry a tune in a bucket in more ways than one. But thanks for the thought, Doc. Appreciate it.
As Whitman said;
I hear America singing
ps
don't think you saw my greeting
to you and Susan at the end
of one of my comments below
No, Doc. I missed that. Didn't get to read 'sandwich' until late last night and haven't had time to get through to the end of the comments yet. The invasion force from Chicago, led by my youngest daughter, landed last Sunday (along with a member of their canine unit), with the second wave arriving midweek. Took them until yesterday to declare this little island secure and decamp back to Chicago. So, I was a little busy in the trenches in between.
Thanks for thinking of us. Sorry to hear you got bit by the bug. Hope your recovery is quick and complete. Will keep a good thought for you.
thank you very much, Michael,
for your good thoughts
and as for your dear flock
they fulfilled their mission
and so did you
bravo
and enjoy the peace
Great story. I enjoyed reading about Tom in your “Doubting Thomas’’ post. My sympathies to his family. He sounds like a great guy who will be missed terribly by those who loved him. Grief is a messy thing that we all have to deal with in our own way. Be thankful you had him in the first place. It’s hard to do.
I was lucky enough to see Warren Zevon once in a small club in Pittsburgh. Great songwriter. I remember his last show on Letterman. I was amazed at his composure & attitude. Hopefully we can all go out with that grace & humor that these men had.
Tom's story moves me. Your connection with him is such a blessing.
And these words ---
Because to lose somebody means you had to have them in the first place.
It lingers inside of me.
Thank you so much, Matt ~ for this beautifully written piece! I had to read through it a second tme, as my eyes were blurred through tears. These are the real gems in life, the ones that etch an indelible little signature onto our hearts, like a moveable feast that we carry with us forever.
I am sorry for the loss of your new old friend! The passages you have shared lends a glimpse into a wonderful journey of friendship, as fleeting as it was. It reminded me of how many times through the kindness of strangers, we can often find some of the brightest lights and the best kinship.
I may have to find a pint of that Black Raspberry ice-cream and read this for a third time. This might very well be my favorite substack of yours..thus far. 🙏💙
Good morning, Sherryl
Greetings to you up in Edmonton
I lived thirty years in the true north
strong and free, from 1970 - 2000
The Queen Charlotte's, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.
My husband is Canadian 🇨🇦
and his native sanity is the balm of Gilead
to my patriotic 🇺🇸 fervor
What a wonderful message you wrote here
Thank you, and happy to meet you
Deborah
Good morning, Deborah,
Thank you for the warm greetings ~ I am happy to meet you as well! The Queen Charlotte's must have been an amazing experience while you were here in Canada. Sending you and your husband a traditional Canadian 'how's it going, eh?' this Sunday morning :-)
I am keeping a keen eye on all of you and hoping that the march toward Gilead will soon stop. It it utterly heartbreaking to watch. We are certainly not immune from any of this either; as was demonstrated last February with the convoy/occupation of Ottawa. It shook me to my core to see a Confederate Flag in our Capitol and the desecration of monuments. The cracks are beginning to appear in this country too.
This is one of the very few spaces where I feel safe to express myself without an onslaught of the vitriol that is out there. Not that I have contributed much to the comment section here at Slack Tide, but I so enjoy reading through the banter back and forth. I believe that if we can all agree to disagree, but also meet somewhere in the middle, compromise and learn something from each other ~ we are all better for it. Slack Tide is my elixir for this and so much more.
Cheers
Sherryl
Good morning Sherryl,
Thank you for your wonderful reply to my hello across the miles.
Cheers and amen to your belief.
I too believe we are building
the merciful middle
here together,
that this nation shall have
a new birth of freedom.
And in Canada,
honor to Trudeau
for standing strong.
I look forward
to sharing our best thoughts
and growing bigger through listening
Deborah
I, too, look forward to more exchanges between us! The great white north is living up to its name; we are about to go into a deep freeze. We have been very fortunate with milder temps ~ I was still picking tomatoes off the vine up until the end of October!
🍅🍅🍅🌞wow
you go
green thumb gal !
do you move it indoors
tiil the geese return?
Why thank you! No sense ripping anything up while it's still growing on the vine. I do bring some of my cherished flowers in for sure and I have been learning to harvest all kinds of seeds. It's quite the learning curve on all of the different flowers. I just received my Vessey's Seed catalogue in the mail on Friday, so my agenda tonight is browsing through all of the glorious choices. Or as I would like to say when browsing through this particular catalogue: Want it, got it, need it, love it.
Already planning for next year :-)
Just had rat he most wonderful Thanksgiving ever with my four grandkids (1 to 5) here in Jacksonville MD. Then read this. Now I can really say that I have had the best day ever. What a great piece. What courage. Amazing
Thanks, Matt, that was lovely. I’m more on Tom’s side of the religious debate, but I value different viewpoints - like from my uncle, a catholic priest. And Warren, one of my all time favorites. “keep me in your heart” brings tears to my eyes, makes it hard to play (I’ve worked out a version on my mandolin that I can struggle through). But anyway, thanks for bringing good tears to my eyes…
Your essays are like “This Is Us” -- each one an emotional workout, copious Kleenexes required. (If you haven’t watched this series, it’s some of the best episodic writing and acting out there.)
Thanks for this on Thanksgiving.
Enjoy every Slack Tide.
P.S. Your wife should change her name to Anaylyn. It’s beautiful both to look at and hear.
Thinking about just calling her "Al," like the Paul Simon song.
One of the all-time great albums, by the way.
Totally agree. "Rhythm of the Saints" is no slouch either.
She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes.
Thanks, Matt!
Beautiful, Matt. My mother-in-law just passed from COPD. Watching that up-close, Tom’s ability to stay in good cheer is all the more remarkable to me. It is a brutal, relentless condition. Glad you guys found each other, and grateful for your ability to share the friendship with us. Happy Thanksgiving.
My sympathies on your mother-in-law, Will. That disease does not sound like fun at all.
Thank you, one again, for your elegant, compassionate writing. The Wind is one of my favorite CDs. I've lost a few good friends since Warren passed away. I always play the CD, singing along with it and bawling my eyes out. Always very cathartic. Sounds like a weird compliment, but it is absolutely the best set of songs to get to the heart of the matter, the celebration of life. And your memorial of Tom is wonderful.... what a tribute. Great way to kick off several days of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!