FELIX!!!

Felix is coming! This weekend! He's back in town, so we all have to get together to see Felix!!! My inbox is SO EXCITED.

I have never met Felix. Felix lived at the co-op after my time, but people have our eras blended, and they assume I know and adore Felix like everyone does. I get updates on Felix. I'm reminded to invite Felix to things. People reminisce about the fun times I've had with Felix. I don't know Felix.

I'm sure I would like Felix, if we met. But for now, his visit is a matter of benign indifference for me. I'll be psyched if it means we all hang out, however.

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A few years back, I somehow got included on an email list for friends of a local activist who got hit by a car. I never met the guy, had no idea who he was. A friend of his visited him at the hospital a lot, and wrote long, detailed emails about his brave fight with pain, and how his suffering never dimmed his cheerful strength. I'd get these emails once a week or so, and it took that guy about four months to die. I never had the courage to tell our mutual friend that I didn't want the emails, that I'm sure the dying guy was great, but I didn't really want to join the story so close to the end. So I got poignant emails for what seemed like a really long time and felt guilty for being callous the whole while.