So ... the story goes about 2 weeks before dad died Arthur was visiting it was late. He and I were playing cards or risk or stratego and Dad was pacing the hallway when he stopped us and talked about having a purpose after he dies in the afterlife if there was one and was that he wanted to come back and communicate the existence of the afterlife if it was in anyway a possibility and he said he would promise to make it happen. Neither Arthur or I had any impending sense about his very fast approaching death so we neither gave too much much attention to it, but then about 2 weeks later while home alone with him while my mom tended the liquor store in San sidro, he asked me to help him to the bathroom and after a couple of minutes I heard a crash from the next room came running in to find him slumped over the toilet in severe jaw clenching pain. I got him on the floor and cradled his head in my lap and then began to run my lists associated with just such a unprepared for disaster. After improvised CPR, chest pounding, hysteric pleading, during a moment of calm, I felt the heat draining from him and came face to face with his movement into ash, next I called my mom, and after that I began a serious wail. In the following year however, this conversation he had with Arthur and I kept popping up for me, especially during times of loneliness when his absence was most felt, it has for most of my life been an insult to the tragedy that I felt.
Over time, I've simply moved on and forgotten his promise and the huge disappointment in his not being able to keep it. It was only until a few days ago that the true character of that man, his demonstrating leadership and being a leader, showed up for me in that last totally unselfish stand which he took for the benefit of his sons, which he did with total conviction against all odds. It's just breathtaking for me to consider it today and such a warm glow of pride wells up in my heart. Until this epithany a few days ago I would never have dreamed I'd ever be able to confess to this massive transformation and appreciation I feel towards him today. So it is .. and you the first person I've shared this with! I can't take full credit for this amazing shift in my relationship with him though, there was been a recent startup of some work with Werner Erhard in the domain of, you guessed it, Leadership ... and I'm going to find no resistance at all to returning to that lesson plan after having this initial resolution to a lifelong feeing of loss and abandonment and disappointment. Just within my own personal sphere I can't recall a greater leader than my father who was so magnanimous that he was calling out what he saw possible even after his death ... and his conviction and vision for that possibility was total ... I could spend 10 lifetimes I think and still not exhaust the inspiration that one moment of his leadership gave and continues to give me.
