With apologies to Gary Shteyngart…
The other day, I read the most honest, moving and heartrending blog post I’d ever seen. It was by Derek K. Miller. I never heard of him before and found it via a recommendation by my good friend Gini Dietrich.
The post is the last entry in his 10 year old blog and was written not long before Derek died. He had a long battle with cancer and this was his final farewell. It was published posthumously.
To say it it sad is an understatement. Yet, as sad as it is, it’s also hopeful. It describes what he was thinking toward the end of his life and bravely celebrates the things that matter to him, the wonder of time and his cherished family. In the past, the world would never have known his simple eloquence and resonant voice unless you were personally connected.
That’s because we relied on traditional media distribution channels to give us their vetted and recommended list of writers, creators and thinkers to explore. And there’s no question the list was very, very long.
Now the list is endless.
Thanks to social media we can all be heard and have the opportunity for our words and images to touch others far beyond our lives. Our collective ideasphere has exploded. And that’s a wonderful if somewhat overwhelming notion.
My heart goes out to Derek’s family and I wish them my most sincere condolences. And I want to thank them for allowing this cherished private moment to become part of the cultural landscape for all our lives.
