Today’s post is devoted to the passing
of fellow Daynoter Mike Barkman.
Each of us plays many roles in life. Michael John Barkman
was a husband, father, retired pharmacist/entrepreneur, and
member of the Daynotes Gang. But more importantly, Mike was a
rich man.
No, not in the way you are probably thinking.
Mike was rich in the way Emerson described Thoreau as
being rich: “He chose to be rich by making his wants
few…”
Mike was rich in having found a soul mate not once, but
twice in life.
Mike was rich in the love of his children: Sue, Ross, and
step-daughter Joanna.
Mike was rich in his beloved home in Rotorua, New
Zealand.
But what struck me about Mike was that he wast most rich
in his positive attitude and outlook on life. I think this
was reflected in the name of his site, Icarus Ascending. In
the many email discussions I’ve had with Mike over these too
short years, he has always been a gentle man with an ever
positive disposition. Even when he announced his medical
problems, he never let it get him down. He would even joke
about it saying whatever pain he was enduring was better than
the alternative.
When, one day not too long ago, he wrote about the new
prescriptions he was given I did some checking on what they
were. From that, it became clear to me that Mike probably
didn’t have a lot of time left as these powerful and very
toxic drugs were given only as a last resort. But you would
never have known it from his postings or emails. Indeed, his
last post ended with this ever positive sentence: “So that’s
me up-to date; still in there swinging!”
In closing, I’d like to say thank you to Mike for
making me richer because of his example on how to live
one’s life:
If you aim for the sun,
You’ll get close
to the heat.
Better that your wings melt
Than never to have flown.
Aloha O’e.. /Dan
Misc. Ramblings 