I'm posting this late in the day on the 26th, so you might call this "A Year and a Day". I'll just call it a year though.
Back in the '70s, one of the best songwriters of the era laid down an epic track, celebrating the music and mourning the loss of Buddy Holly. American Pie, by Don McLean remains high in the pantheon of superior songs, and it is a fitting parallel to this annerversary.
The Day the MuseSick Died.
For that atrocious pun alone, Rob would have me dragged off and shot.
I can think of less praiseworthy forms of demise. Seriously, I can picture Rob chortling and laughing his patented "Buwahahaa!" as he'd watch me trooped off to the post and blindfold for Abuse of the English Language.
A few days short of one year ago, I wrote this eulogy in tribute to a man who's impact on my life is mirrored in the lives of dozens of other writers, and quite literally, thousands of other readers.
My closing words from that year-ago eulogy are no less fitting today, than then.
Now, a final word. I've been as maudlin, emotionally torn-up and just flat-out shattered at Rob's demise as imaginable. I've shared tears with friends on the phone, swapped some war-stories of Rob and most sadly, have been the bearer of the bad news to three who had not yet read of his death. Those were the worst moments of all.
But now, it's time to move on. Rob wrote often of his football days, of playing through the pain, of hustling through the hurt. So, we've got it to do.
Life goes on. Shitty things in the news which would've pissed Rob off still need ranting. The laughable idiocy of the Left still need lampooning. Bourbon needs be sipped, cigars need be smoked, hogs must be roasted and fresh green peanuts need their boiling.
It falls to us to do all that, lest we be dragged off and shot.
Goodbye, Rob. Adios, Acidman, you cranky old bastard.
Your friend,
Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX
And to that, may I get an Amen?
Updated, ten minutes after initial post:
Some of you might wish to revisit what many other bloggers had to say a year ago. Ain't none of us going to fill the hole Rob left. None, of us.
Beautiful, Jim.
I still think of him at times, but today, he was on my mind constantly.
I still remember being one of the first to find out, having the responsibility to share such heavy news with his closest friends and readers. I still remember the disbelief...the ache...
But most of all, I remember the void. At times, I still feel it.
He left footprints on my heart.
Posted by: Mia | June 27, 2007 at 01:34 AM
I frequently ask myself, "what would Acidman have written" when trying to get an idea from my head to the digits to the hard disk.
There is NO ONE ELSE who can take his place, but we all MUST TRY.
Civilization AND civility demands that.
Posted by: Rivrdog | June 27, 2007 at 11:06 AM
I said it over on Eric's (SWG) site and I will say it here: Rob is gone but not forgotten and has left us a legacy of great writing. If the measure of a man is the number of people left behind to mourn his passing and celebrate his life then the Acid Man has left great big shoes to fill.
Posted by: Rey B | June 27, 2007 at 04:17 PM