so long

So it appears Steve Fossett died in a horrible plane crash on the side of a lonely mountain. I mean, well, we "knew" that, but still, proof and all.

There was part of me that kept hoping he'd just gotten fed up with fame and planned to vanish. Another part of me hoped he wouldn't do that to his family.

You see, Steve was one of my great heros. He was a fairy tale adventurer in a modern day world. He quested for dragons and grails in a time that such things held no credibility. He marched to the beat of a medieval drum, and he dared to dream that there was another horizon beyond that which modern thought acknowledged.

His many triumphs, in finance, mountaineering and ballooning, in flight and on skis, sparked my imagination. His daring even led to the creation of one of my favorite characters who has appeared in at least twenty short stories of mine. For all the ways his life touched mine, even though we never met, I thank him.

Steve, I'll miss you. My heart goes out to your family, and I'm grateful they may find closure. May time bring them peace and may memories bring joy and laughter. And I hope, wherever you are, there are still dragons to slay and grails to find. So long, my friend.