Cameron

The one person on LJ I really wanted to keep tabs on over the summer was handlebear, but I was so busy and out of internet contact that I didn’t have time, and today I discovered that Cameron is gone.

I met him at the GALA festival in Montreal in July 2004 and we connected readily. I have a couple cherished memories of hanging out with him, djjo and dakoopst. One night we went to a rooftop party at a bar; the four of us became completely caught up in one another’s company, quite oblivious to everyone and everything going on around us.

He seemed to sense the depth of my isolation from the world. After our meeting he showed great compassion, offering himself as a sounding board, inviting me to say anything to him, promising to receive it without judgment. It took me some time to respond to that invitation, but by the time I fully appreciate the gift, Cameron’s health had begun to decline.

I wish I had known him better. And yet I feel privileged to have tasted the friendship of such a kind soul on the eve of his departure. He will be remembered with tenderness.

Fear is. . .

Reading ghostsandrobots feelings about the disaster in the wake of Katrina, I thought about the underlying fear factor. I tried to remember a quote, "fear is the great...." But I couldn't remember the word, so I did a Google search on that phrase. Here is what I found:

Fear is the great motivator.
Fear is the great immobilizer.
Fear is the great teacher.
Fear is the great destructive power of the human mind.
Fear is the great paralyzer.
Fear is the great mover.
Fear is the great attractor.
Fear is the great barrier to human growth.
Fear is the great obstacle to success.
Fear is the great engine of news.
Fear is the great thwarter of life.
Fear is the great hand behind actions human.
Fear is the great robber of peace.
Fear is the great stop sign that can halt change.
Fear is the great operator.
Fear is the great locked door.
Fear is the great distractor.
Fear is the great equalizer.
Fear is the great mind destroyer.
Fear is the great inhibitor and controller.
Fear is the great pretender.
Fear is the great corrupter of all our experiences.
Fear is the great unmentionable.
Fear is the great vulnerability ready to be exploited.
Fear is the great mind deceiver.
Fear is the great strengthener of a woman's love.
Fear is the great clarifier.
Fear is the great friend of prejudice.
Fear is the great middle-class disease.
Fear is the great fact of our daily lives.
Fear is the great trickster.
Fear is the great balancer between caution and action.
Fear is the great, saving influence of religion.
Fear is the great betrayer.
Fear is the great predisposing factor for cancer.
Fear is the great oppressor.
Fear is the great disciplinarian.
Fear is the great dictator.
Fear is the great civilizer of the savage barbarian.
Fear is the great stumbling block.
Fear is the great divider.
Fear is the great limitation to experience.
Fear is the great effector of arousal.
Fear is the great tool of the religious con-men.
Fear is the great blinder.
Fear is the great killer of dreams.
Fear is the great motivator of conservative thought.
Fear is the great enemy of happiness, the Gospel, victory, civilized society, commerce, love, intimacy, faith, innovation, creative expression.

With so many confusing notions about fear, only one thing is clear: we don't understand its power.