Making Peace with Sound Guy

I wandered down to Union Square again, and on my usual route home, I recognized that familiar paperboy cap and tall posture, it was sound guy Mike, Michael. I hadn't seen him since he disappeared over half a year ago before I moved to San Francisco from Oakland. It was strange seeing him again, and I felt sort of out-of-my-body while I made small-talk with him and caught up on things on an outline basis. Wow, it was really him here in San Francisco, although I expected to run into him at some point if he was still living here. All this time, I didn't know where he was, how he was and always wondered and thought about him. And here he was right in front of me smiling down at me.

He saw my place for the first time and really liked it, impressed with what I had done with it, how far I've come personally, how much I had grown. After more catching up, hemming and hawing, he apologized for leaving so abruptly. It wasn't because of me. Sigh. His life was in chaos and he had to walk away from many things, was mostly distraught because he couldn't lift his recording business off the ground, he was sorry because he knew he hurt me, but somehow he knew deep down that I'd be ok, Maile's got her life together and thought I didn't need him.

I told him about re-visiting UC Santa Barbara and the music library where he and I became friends, how my old boss recognized me, and he said I leave an impression on people and they remember me forever. I do that to people - me? Smile, blush. We missed each other, vowed to be friends, shake of hands, hug, one less hole in my soul. Something brings you back to the people who mean something special to your heart. I believe that more and more.