A former colleague of mine at USA Today died the other day after a long illness. He wasn't a close buddy, but he was a "friend" on Facebook. Because I don't work at the newspaper anymore, I learned of his passing through the social networking site.Since his death, people have been writing messages to him on his Facebook wall. The key phrase is "to him." There are dozens of short notes, many assuming he has already settled in behind a computer in heaven, reading his messages. Writing short blurbs on Facebook is now one of the ways we express our feelings for dead friends.
I am not going to write on his Facebook wall. However, as with the deaths of most friends or acquaintances, his passing gives me reason to pause and to reflect on my own life, career and interactions with former colleagues.
Don Collins was one of the nice guys in an otherwise hectic and often stressed-out newsroom. Sort of a gentle giant type of a man, with a competent, dignified approach to his work in the sports department. In a business that often gets muddied by impossible deadlines, unchecked egos and not-so-hidden insecurities, Don was simply a respectful, decent fellow. That may not sound like high praise, but in the pressure cooker of the newspaper business, lesser men and women often lose their humanity, even if it's just temporarily. To the best of my knowledge, Don never fell into that trap.
If there is a heaven, I pray that it doesn't have Wi-Fi. I hope all of my former colleagues who have passed on, including Don, can disconnect from the Internet and not worry about being accessible 24/7. They've earned the right to unplug, kick back and ignore their in-boxes.
No comments:
Post a Comment