{"id":4762,"date":"2020-12-28T03:42:52","date_gmt":"2020-12-28T03:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nosmallthing.net\/main\/?p=4762"},"modified":"2021-05-08T14:41:21","modified_gmt":"2021-05-08T14:41:21","slug":"in-memoriam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nosmallthing.net\/main\/in-memoriam\/","title":{"rendered":"In Memoriam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\u201cShaken, not stirred.\u201d This was the proclaimed preference for how he liked his martinis. Sean Connery, Scottish actor was the first and, I think, my favorite film actor to play super spy, James Bond. He was oh so macho, which I would normally find a turnoff, but I couldn\u2019t help but think of him as a wonderfully sexy beast<\/em><\/strong>. He will be missed.<\/p>\n

John Lewis. He walked the walk. So rare in politics, he quietly encouraged others to stand for the dignity of all. He was spiritual and practical. He spoke directly to our souls without sounding falsely preachy, always making an example of his own life. He will be missed.<\/p>\n

Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman were always pursuing excellence at their crafts. They clearly were interested in incorporating what they learned professionally into their personal growth. I think they always wanted to become better people. They will be missed.<\/p>\n

And RBG\u2026I can\u2019t say enough about how Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been an inspiration to me. More than as a champion of equality under the law, I\u2019ve been touched by how she always took the long view<\/strong> of things, how she understood progress as a stream of small victories that take us in the right direction. She will be missed.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the time of the year when we think about incredible human beings whose earthly journey is over.<\/p>\n

Many names and bios of cultural icons, like in any year, get rolled into news segments when their passing is announced. Some of their work gets special play. (It seems that Chadwick Boseman\u2019s movies, \u201c42\u201d and \u201cBlack Panther,\u201d ran non-stop during the first week of September.)<\/p>\n

But this year, the act of memorializing human treasures who lost their lives is different.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to diminish the contributions of so many who found a way to share their special talents, but it\u2019s been hard to grieve particular individuals in the context of so much death.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s sobering to think about losing:<\/p>\n