I would prefer to remember my past in terms of the gratitude I owe to the people who helped me along the way (an idea I lifted from Marcus Aurelius' Meditations).
First and above all, I thank:
...the people who should be listed here, but whom I've inadvertently overlooked. (You know who you are, and I hope I do as well.)
And after them, I thank...
...my family, for everything.
...Mike Martin, for being such a forbearing best friend.
...Jerry & Pam Martin, for letting me make their home my home away from home.
...Mrs. Arlene Lucchini, for always having an encouraging thing to say.
...Jen Idlor Saulsbury, for all the letters we've exchanged.
...George Arroyo and Crystal Halbert, for being examples of what life could be.
...Chris Storey, for lighting up a fogbound town.
...Steve Gibbs, for running such a great newspaper.
...Jim Garrett, for having the courage of his convictions, and always insisting that I have the same.
...Mark Perison, Kevin Wells, and Brian Sullivan, for including me.
...Bill Simulcik, for three never-boring years rooming together on West Maynard Avenue.
...Laura Walton Crouch, for always being there.
...Anna Hatzitheodorou, for being such a great friend.
...Sherri Noxel, for those interesting stories.
...Gail Culler, for the late Friday night talks.
...Steve Kremer, for all those great talks about education, religion, women, and everything else under the sun.
...Kathleen Carberry Skestos, for the good ideas it took me seven or eight years to appreciate.
...K. Austin Kerr, for being the epitome of an academic adviser.
...Rebecca Woods, for demonstrating what listening to and reasoning with people can accomplish.
...John Hilbert, for demonstrating what leadership can accomplish.
...Karla S______, for telling me what I needed to hear.
...Thomas Gray, for great seats at bad football games.
...Chris Bellomy and Tom Urquhart, for introducing me to the coolness of radio.
...Pat Ensor, for teaching me how to work more effectively.
...Cesar Alvarado, for talking even when I thought I didn't want to listen.
...Lucy Bowen, for the entertaining gripe sessions.
...Lisa Baker and Steven Ring, for the always-open doors.
...Maggie Yackey and Camille Livingston, for reminding me how much fun life can be.
...Spencer PriceNash, for being so much help with my moves, and always having the Austin crash pad available.
...Jim Andrews, for being an all-around great guy.
...Karen Knox, for cheering me up.
...Mary Lynn Rice-Lively, for hiring me.
...Maria Gonzalez, for pointing me to the advertisement for my first librarian job, and encouraging me to apply for it.
...Jason at the Doghouse, for mixing many a great Rob Roy.
(excluding people I still work with)
...Suzanne Harold, for two Portland-to-Coasts, several New Years Eves, and many helpful chats.
...Dan O'Brien Muzyka, the best housemate ever.
...Brett Lear, Matt Wiesenfeld, and Javier Gutierrezfor having people to talk football and the South with.
...Marjorie Schreiber Lear and Sue Banks, for their encouragement.
...Don Allgeier, for allowing me space and time to recover from a string of bad years.
...Bridget Cain-Bushman, for inviting me to her warm house on several stranded holidays.
...Abigail Elder, for afternoons at the velodrome.
...Cindy Gibbon, for hiring me.
...Dave Morrison, for letting me into the house.
...N., for the best month of my life.
...Herbert "Train" Rutledge, for introducing me to "Whiz Wit", the vocal stylings of Yma Sumac, and a hundred other things I'd have never found on my own.
..."Dhanesh", for teaching me about logic and proper argument.
...Don McGregor, for suffering my quirks with such good humor.
...Gary W. "Goob" Smith, for making me laugh out loud when I needed to.
...Thomas Rooney, for being even funnier than Goob.
...Deke Arndt, Justin Greenfield, and Gary McManus, for knocking so much stuff off the shelves.