He always came across as a caring and sensitive kid, which is what he became as a young adult. He grew up at camp, always an eager and competent participant. When he became a counselor, I knew he would not need me. He was creative and capable and an excellent and self-sufficient leader of his group. They had a cabin to live in and to change, but he opted to build a monastery in the forest, and his campers wore robes, which they made themselves. To add to their adventure in living different lifestyles, they would often pick up raw foods from our kitchen and make their dinners. Go figure?
He earned a master’s in biology and joined the Peace Corps. He hated our involvement in Vietnam, and he and I had spoken often about this. Emotional and honest, he would cry over his concern for people. I loved our conversations; he was vulnerable and, at the same time, strong.
The Peace Corps sent him to Africa. He shared the following experience with me. Torrential rain lasted almost two weeks, and he could not do anything but remain in his hut. During this period, he deeply contemplated the state of the World and believed that during this downpour, he understood the state of the world and what he believed were the answers to the world’s problems. When the sun eventually came out, he returned to his Peace Corps work with villagers. He was also in the “real” world again and began to compare his answers to world issues and soon came to the stark realization that his view and solutions to world problems were “not real.” He was asleep and dreamt those answers, but none fit into the reality he was now aware of. When he returned home, the guitar took over his life, and he became a professional, one of the best. He created a group, recorded, wrote music, and teaches serious students of the guitar. He is a genuine gift. Sy