about light, time, people, and places.
It’s been a most amazing week. I waited at the airport for a plane that was hours late to meet a friend — Ann Michael — a dear friend I’ve known for a lifetime of less than two years. Together we waited for another plane that was also hours late to travel a country that is this country’s history.
Ann and I stayed in a London hotel arranged by a friend that she’s known for years. We got coffee each morning from Starbucks. She and I have shared coffee at Starbucks in at least three other cities. She walks to one by her home. I know I’ve done it with her. I walk to one down the street from me.
A fine businessman, blogger, and friend, Kevin Dixie, took us to lunch at the OXO tower. We explored ideas while sitting by the river and traversed Soho to meet up with a friend of Ann’s, Richard Charkin, — a publisher who recently changed jobs. He shared one of the best stories in publishing. Ann says she’s known Richard all of a few hours in real time. I could say the same about the real time spent in the company of Kevin — still from my observation the fiendships are strong and real.
The next night was dinner and blogger’s movie premier with famed marketing blogger, John Dodds. He’s yet another with whom little real time has been logged but the friendship can’t be denied.
In the middle of the trip, Ann and I both met up with friends we have known longer than a decade. Then she came to meet one of mine who knew many of hers. The connections they had in common were amazing.
I had lunch with Hsien Hsien Lei — I first met her in the comment box in 2005. I finally got to meet Mark McGuinness, a most patient man, who’s doing some magical things mixing creativity and business. Ann and I enjoyed breakfast with Benjamin Ellis, his insights into the corporate world of UK business were fascinating.
We sadly we unable to connected with Karin, one we so hoped to meet, but we vowed that we would make it together somewhere, somehow, some place in the future. Yessirree!
Friday night at the Geek Dinner, I was fortunate enough to talk to some folks I admire, Hugh MacLeod, Dave Winer, Mark Earls, and Nick Butler aka Loudmouthman. Certainly a high point was a chance to visit the Guardian for coffee with Jemima Kiss, who joined us later; that trademark smile of greeting from Robert Scoble; and the surprised look of recognition on the face of Dave Sifry when I said hello. The freezing photowalk through London with Sifry and Scoble later was unforgettable, but could have done with more beer. The conversation when we finally sat down was worth the cold hands getting there.
Why am I telling you all of this?
The last night, which I spent in Oxford in the home of friends I’ve known for almost two decades, I went out for a breath of air looked up and saw the stars. Orion — too often hidden these days by city lights — was there waiting for me.
Until that moment, home and you had felt far away, but not anymore. Then it seemed that all time, all people, and all places were written in light on the indigo over my head.
My thoughts said, “I’m home, in the past, in the present, in the future . . . people and stars . . . it’s by our light . . . the light in our eyes, the light in our minds, the light in our hearts that we have meaning and we connect.”
I knew then that we would live forever.
That’s what I’ve been thinking ever since.
