(no subject)

[deckardcanine]

In the last few weeks, I've been reading my LJ in reverse. I started out just looking for my old poems and their dates, but the further back I went, the more I felt like reading other entries and comments in detail. (Note that after a certain point, you can't get a whole page with multiple posts; you have to click thru them individually.) Eventually I made it to my debut on February 25, 2004, more than a third of my life ago. My last semester in college.

It interested me to see how much I did and did not remember. Some people and events had completely slipped my mind. Some amusing observations amused me anew. Sometimes I surprised my present self, like when I'd resolved not to rent video games anymore. (When the last local video store closed, I missed the option.) Most of my predictions have failed to come true.

I knew I used to be both more religious and further to the political left. What I'd forgotten was how uncertain I acted. Nervous to the point of wimpy, even. And I kept feeling guilty, often for reasons beyond my control. So as usual, I like my present self better than my past self.

Sometimes I'd written something badly enough that I considered editing, but at this point, who else is going to look back that far? Besides, it feels like a retcon. I kinda want to keep the imperfections as a reminder of how I used to be.

Comments

[level-head.livejournal.com]

I have enjoyed our interactions, our friendship, and your "unusual mental faculties" (including extraordinary ability as an editor of English writing) for almost all of that time; this will be the 2600th interaction since November 2004.

May fortune always smile upon you, my friend. And may you always be continuing to improve, in your own eyes.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

LJ keeps track of the number of interactions between two individuals? Where? Or do you count on your own?

Whichever, thank you for the reassurance and blessing.

[level-head.livejournal.com]

My own tracking. I don't think that LJ publishes a counter for such things.

Your first comment to me, on November 13 of 2004, was:

Oddly enough, I've always imagined you having a deep, pseudo-villainous voice.

That implies a relationship going back even further, and I suspect that this is connected to .. is "Dana" still the nomme de jour?

You are quite welcome. I've described your abilities to friends, and always believed that you could do well as a professional editor. In the meantime, we see the quality of copy editing continuing to fall on the on-line (and even print) media outlets. They need you, and I was fortunate to have had your services for two different novels.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

Yes, I first knew you thru the cartoonist who then went by "rain_luong"; and yes, that cartoonist still goes by "Dana." I don't remember anything you said on that journal, but you must have impressed me.

[level-head.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the most frequent topic of conversation was "Dana's" insistence that Bush was just like Goering. And his continually repeating that Bush was knowingly lying about Iraq trying to buy uranium ore from Niger — when it ultimately turned out that this bit had been confirmed by Ambassador Joseph Wilson himself. Wilson later denied this story after he went to work for the Kerry campaign, but prior to that (and after his trip to Niger) had flatly stated his own belief that Saddam had WMDs, including during his televised appearance on a panel on Iraq in February of 2003.

While I first began interacting with Dana in mid-2003, I had written previously under my real name in praise of "Ozzy and Millie" more than a year earlier, and there was a bit of subsequent correspondence. I doubt that Dana ever made the connection.

My most memorable interaction with Dana was at a Further Confusion; I offered to shake Dana's hand as a fan, but amidst shouted warnings Dana caught sight of my name tag just before our hands made contact. Dana snatched the hand back, glared up at me for a second, and spun, stamping quickly and rather pointedly away. I recall that the hand had very long, painted fingernails, and I was intrigued that this evidently did not get in the way of drawing.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[makovette.livejournal.com]

I recall you mentioning something of that as well, though it's been a long time indeed since then...

Mako

[level-head.livejournal.com]

Yes, much has changed, my friend. I am pleased to see that Dana's artwork and storytelling are still good, and Dana would be, no doubt, delighted to learn of my current circumstances.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle

[makovette.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Talent and and character are not required to be granted in equal measure it would seem...

[level-head.livejournal.com]

Speaking of editing, I just realized that a [Quote] button showed up in the message I tweaked below. That button might have been there for a long time; I rarely edit LJ messages. I don't know what it does: I highlighted some text and clicked [Quote] and the session ended but nothing else obvious happened.

===|==============/ Keith DeHavelle