Deaths

 I learned yesterday a former colleague had died last May.

One of the problems of aging is that more and more people from our lives disappear.That can be anything from a celebrity, a chum, a soul friend, a family member and/or a frenemy. 

Ron was a PITA (Pain in the Ass). Back in the seventies he was the economic advisor to a credit union where I was PR Director. My job was to turn Ron's incomprehensible theories into something that my boss could take around the country. Those speeches made my boss an industry leader.

Ron acted as he was the most intelligent person ever and the rest of us were stupid. He was intelligent -- in history and economics. He considered any other skill or knowledge else as inferior and a time waster including art, music, sports, nature.

We went our separate ways but in the late 90s I heard from him via email. He was teaching at U. of Lowell, my alma mater. The alumni magazine had done a feature on me and the books I'd written.

He worked me into an all male email group, which I christened "My Bad Guys List." because most of their political opinions were opposite mine. Strangely enough when the Iraq started, Ron and I were note for note singing the same song that it was wrong and stupid.

Where we didn't agree was financial anything. I don't claim to be an economist. What bothered me about Ron's theories was every one of his arguments ended with a formula. I could never persuade him that humans do not follow formulas in their behavior. In buying a gas guzzler (which be both deemed irresponsible) people do not think x+z=y or whatever the formula was.

He poo pooed my comments on Bitcoin, thinking it would disappear. I give him credit for telling me later I was right that it was a new financial tool.

He was fascinated with mid-European women and got caught up with a scam looking for a mail-order bride. 

Rob bragged how stupid his students were, how few ever passed. I would say as he teacher, he should be working with them to help them. We never resolved the issue. 

None of the differences ever came down to personal attacks. It was always theory. Always shared with respect no matter how grudgingly.

After hearing of his death, I checked his obit. It left me with a feeling of sadness 

There were no survivors listed. In the comments section that people leave, there was a lack of closeness. One person said they would miss seeing him the elevator of their apartment building. Another commented on running into him from time to time at a coffee shop. All had a lack of closeness.

I didn't dislike Ron. I didn't like him. He was just in and out of my life, more on an intellectual level. I felt sorry that his experiences were limited and often passionless. And maybe that's wrong. A new book would thrill him.  Nor should I judge him that he didn't follow my carpe diem life style.

Still, since he is younger than I am, I didn't expect him to die. Like other people who have gone, it is another chunk, even a tiny one, out of my past.

I don't like it.