A Friend

[Adam]

Here's what I wrote elsewhere:
Mick was a moderator for an officiating board that I’ve participated in now for almost eight years. You might be surprised to know the passions that can flare between referees when discussing the intricacies of a backcourt violation, a pick-off move to 2nd base, or the newest offensive formation. In the middle of that, mick was an arbiter of arbiters; keeping a level head and reminding us when we crossed a line. He was a good friend; always willing to offer his insights and knowledge.

One of the weird things about the way the internet has evolved is just how close we can get to people we’ve never met face to face. It’s an amazing phenomenon, and I have dozens of people whom I consider close friends that I’ve only seen in text and digital pictures. There are a few more whom I’ve only met once or twice, yet their influence on me has been profoundly positive and positively profound. Life in the 21st century is vastly different than even at the end of the 20th.

With this comes a fairly new experience; experiencing the loss of friends we’ve never actually seen face to face. That such a loss could shake me this much is a testament to the power of the internet and, even more so, the nature of the man. I’ve been involved in social interaction on the internet for 13 years now, and mick is the first such friend of mine who has died in all that time.

Rest in His Peace, Mick Chambers, the final horn has sounded. Knock back a cold one for the rest of us.