So what are you gonna say, right?

Gardner: “Heyman, what the fuck happened to you?”
Sandman: “Uhh…I dunno. I think I got my ass kicked.”

Yeah, Sandman was funny like that too. St. Iraneaus said, “The Glory of God is any person fully alive.” Sandman was no religious fella (nor for that matter am I), and even if there is a heaven I don’t suspect Sandman snaked his way past the doorman. But I’ll be damned if Sandman wasn’t a man fully alive. Every moment I spent with John was a moment. He was fully engaged in life and refused at all times to spectate or to let you spectate. He was an actor who did not want you in the audience; he wanted you on stage with him and would yank your ass out of that theater chair if he had to. With Sandman, you couldn’t help but live. He was one of Kerouac’s “mad ones” desirous of everything at the same time, and I loved him for it.

Like you, I’ve been thinking about the Sandman a lot since that McCandless movie came out. Thanks for the pic and post Sweetness. It’s good to see the the brother still smilin there. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Manuel just showed up for a little Hogan’s and Hockey and Jordan needs the computer to email Ling-Ling.

A Jawadian Postscript:

-Jawad, you want a smoke?
- No, I will only smoke a cigarett on my death bed.
- But what if you die all of a sudden? What if you’re struck by lightning?
- Well–then I will be the cigarette.