I met David in 2006, when I responded to a flyer posted at the west side Olympia Food Co-op: Looking for caregiver for retired Evergreen professor. Must have an earnest desire to change the world.
With those words, I knew I was in for something extraordinary.
David was the hippest elder I have known. He cursed, wore an earring, laughed large, and had a lot to say about politics and society. He could be downright ornery, but was mostly loving, generous, and wise. He was concerned with truth and naked honesty. He valued solitude. A teacher and mentor at his core, David loved to share his love and understanding of literature. He encouraged me to go back to school. He lent me books, and we often shared poems.
We went for a lot of walks together (a great feat for a somewhat rickety old man) in the west side neighborhood, stopping frequently to hold hands, smell the flowers, and rest. I cooked for him, and sometimes he would light a candle and put on his Harris tweed jacket to have dinner with me. We went through a lot together in two years.
I love him tremendously, and am deeply blessed to have known him.
Shine on, ancient one.
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