Like always, Greg

I have two quotes handwritten on the white board that hangs on my fridge. They read:

"Pilgrim on earth, they home is in heaven!"

and

"To those leaning on the sustaining infinite today is big with blessings."

Both are from the book Science and Health.

The first one stuck out to me because it reminds me that heaven is a state of mind you can - and in fact do - live in at any given moment ... it's just a matter of bringing your consciousness to recognize that fact.

The second is a message of ever-present good in life ... even when circumstances would shout otherwise.

Yesterday I received news that Greg (see a few posts below, re: Equinox in Fairbanks) died. In the last 24-plus hours I've been through the gamut of emotions, and the waves are still hitting shore.

But this post is not so much about me, as it is about an incredibly generous soul who touched my life in a pretty profound way in the few short months I knew him. A runner, an uncle, a diesel engine mechanic, a cyclist, a musher, a snowboarder, a traveler, a compassionate boss, a story teller, a pilot, a volunteer, a coffee aficionado and a friend ... who was reliable, genuine, independent, fun-loving, easy to talk to, sincere, thoughtful, kind, adventurous, active and a whole lot more.

A little anecdote: Greg told me a story about how he put is job on the line to first hire somebody in a halfway house and then defend that employee when his criminal background came into question ... Greg said the guy was one of the most hardworking, dependable employees he'd ever hired ... and when his company wouldn't let Greg rehire the guy (seasonal employment), he went to great lengths to give the guy a good recommendation for other jobs.

Another anecdote: The last time I saw Greg, exactly one week ago, he talked about a model breaking system for buses that he had built 10 years ago out of spare parts. Apparently it's still used to train students studying mechanics in a school in Seward. He said, "I'm tooting my own horn a little bit," and then went on to explain the intricacies of it. He said he'd like to build a modern model breaking system. "I'm going to put the word out for spare parts," he said. He had such great curiosity and knowledge ... a truly active mind. When I asked him why he didn't pursue a career in aviation mechanics, which is what he studied in college, he said it was because there are so many governmental restrictions put on plane mechanics ... it took the creativity out of it, he said in so many words.

One more anecdote: Greg invited me out for drinks at Cafe Amsterdam, a bar he raved about for its good beer and low-key atmosphere. We had a fabulous evening drinking foreign beer, eating delicious appetizers and talking, talking, talking. As Greg put it in an e-mail he sent me the following morning, "That was a lot of fun last night, we should try to do that sort of thing more often!" At some point toward the end of the evening I got up to go to the bathroom. In the few short minutes I was gone he paid the bill, unbeknown to me until I asked for it at the end of the night. I still owe him a dinner at the Tap Root Cafe, which was the next place we planned to check out.

A last anecdote: I heard him tell the same story over and over again about a remote village in Africa that he visited ... one his friend worked in while serving in the peace corps. He grew a real affection for the people in the village, particularly the women who he endlessly entertained by trying to participate in their chores. He was hoping to go back to Africa this winter.

There's many, many, many more stories. I'll write them down with time - either on this blog or in my own journal.

I close with Greg's own words. They're excerpts from e-mails he sent me.

"Very cool that you brought up the topic of religion yesterday. That's not a subject that many people are quick to bring up. I pray a lot as well in difficult or challenging situations."

"I hope you had a good day today. Mine was good. I got stuck at work for another long day, helping a couple of the other mechanics with some technical stuff. I really enjoy the teaching/coaching part of my job."

"I really admire your positive outlook on people, the world, life in general. I can always see the positives in a situation ... I like that you make traveling and getting out in general a priority in your life. Life is too short not to take advantage of what we have."


The last e-mail I wrote to Greg, on Oct. 20, was titled "Hasta manana." It was to confirm our morning coffee time, and for some reason I felt compelled to write it in Spanish. It read, "Nos juntamos a las 7 de la manana, como siempre." Translation: We'll get together at 7 a.m., like always.

Like always, Greg.