Digital BW, The Print

Two weeks ago, I, completely unaware, sent a xmas card to Jerry 
Olson, as I have done for the last three years. Yesterday I got one 
in return. But it was not written by Jerry. It was his mother (!) who 
wrote me that Jerry had passed away about half a year ago. I hadn't 
been on the forum lately, or I would have known. And I hadn't written 
with him for some time. There were periods that we wrote each other 
on a daily basis, sometimes even writing more than one letter a day. 
And there were times that we didn't communicate a lot, that's
just how it goes. But I thought about him him often and just the 
other day I was considering asking his advice about some matters.

I owe him an awful lot. He was the one who first helped me with my 
newbie problems, and in every way he could: patiently answering my 
undoubtedly silly questions, sending me prints. And we had some good 
laughs too, exchanging jokes of all kinds.

Whenever someone I care about dies, it feels as though some warm, 
protecting blanket is torn away and I am even further exposed to the 
coldness of the world. However, I never knew these feelings could 
be aroused by the death of someone I never met. A pen pal. Someone 
I've never even spoken to. But it did.

I'll miss you, Jerry.

Igor