My friend, Steve

This blog was created for my friend, Steve - my friend, Photoshop guru and, in so many ways, my inspiration.

Steve, who maintained the e mail signature of Never Give Up, passed on last week after an extroidinarily courageous two and a half years of living with a rapidly progressing form of ALS.

During these years I visited Steve, whenever possible, on the Sausalito houseboat that he built and lived in with his wife, Nancy, and son, Noah. I have strong memories of those visits. Perhaps one of the most affecting memory is of a day early on in the first stages of his being unable to speak. Steve was trying to tell me about something and could not form the words. After several attempts he started laughing. Soon we were both heartily laughing, tears rolling down our cheeks. It was clear to me then, and still is, that we were laughing AT the disease. The equanimity that it took for him to do that will inspire me as long as I live. Indeed, the equanimity that Steve possessed throughout this journey is rare and will not be forgotten by those of us whose lives he touched.

Nancy recently wrote this: his sharp mind and renowned sense of humour remained with him until the end. He left this world as he lived in it, with courage and strength.

When asked what one could do for him, Steve's answer was, in essence: live your life and appreciate it all, savour the simplest things, be aware and grateful for everything. It is my intention to honor my friend by doing this to the best of my ability. I ask you to do the same in honor of a man you never knew but one who had a gift, by his words and example, to give.


In the time of writing this blog I have come to love doing it. I thank Steve for that too. I will continue posting - continuing with Bhutan for a while and then on to what wants to be next - and hope that it remains, for a good long while, a way to connect with you, my family and friends, who read it.