When I take a walk through the internet, I never know where I’ll end up. What started as a search for book reviews of a particular novel I was reading ended with a memorial dedicated to the gone, but not forgotten Cronan Thompson. I’d never heard of him nor would I have been likely to, given that our interests didn’t align. To paraphrase Freddy Mercury, “MiST was never my scene and I don’t like Star Trek.”
Despite having little in common, I couldn’t help but find myself chuckling over some of his writings. He was whimsical, even brilliant beyond his years. I began to envy those who had the opportunity to match wits with him, and pity those who couldn’t appreciate his sense of humor. The more I read, the more I began to feel a deep sense of regret. The same crushing twinge I recall feeling the first time I heard Ferris Bueller’s casual observation, “Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!”
Well, I had missed it. I will only ever know this person vicariously through what remains of his writings and the second-hand experiences of others. All I have left is the heartbreaking realization that you can never go back – the world will never be what it was, then and there. For better or worse, all we have is now. If there’s one lesson Cronan has taught me, it would be this: Indulge your passions, no matter how trivial they may be to others – for nothing is trivial.
