Farewell To A Friend

 In loving remembrance of my dear friend John Charles, I am happy to share an account of my last meeting with him and some reflections/examples on the character of this extraordinary human being.

Knowing that Debby and I would be returning from a trip to Oregon in Early September, John and I seized on the opportunity to meet up in Yreka upon our return to California on Labor Day, 9/6. As planned, we met for lunch at the local Black Bear Diner where we enjoyed a meal and the time together sharing our thoughts on a variety of subjects. He began by speaking about his daily routine, which notably included participation in his local Sangha (discussion/reading group) as well as his daily yoga practice and trip to the local gym. As is our practice, we then discussed our sons (Christian and Jake), their progress, and our mutual desire for their happiness. He reflected on Christian’s recent work as a pitching coach and the prospect of pursuing a more permanent career as a baseball coach going forward. As always, his love for his son was clearly evident.

We then began to reminisce about the time John visited us in San Francisco several years ago when we walked the cliffs at Land’s End, continued the stroll through Golden Gate Park, shared time at the local coffee house, and attended a Thich Nat Hanh seminar. This led to reaffirming our mutual attraction to and love of the work of Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) and our ongoing commitment to being peaceful warriors in an environment not necessarily committed to the same values. This, in turn, yielded a lively discussion about our respective interactions with the FBI in response to our past and present efforts to resist violence as a means to resolve conflict. The work of Gandhi was invoked as I noted that John singularly reflected the principle of embodying the change that one might want to see manifested in the world. And that was the beautiful and inspiring thing about John: he actually walked the talk; he was consistently and persistently kind in word and deed. True to form, John then shared with us his happiness that a recent refund of money could then be used to help a friend in need...walking the talk indeed! Our time was short and the road southward soon beckoned so we said our goodbyes with palm to palm and a heart to heart embrace...this image will remain with me in the wake of his absence.

John Charles embodied peace and kindness, and, in so doing, made manifest a new way of being in this oft-troubled world desperately in need of a change of direction. These qualities were on clear display in what was to be our final encounter and they will continue to inspire me as I attempt to emulate his excellent example. John has been called home to the source of his gentle power and influence during his allotted time on Earth. Those of us privileged to have known him are forever grateful for his presence in our lives.