I came across E.B. White’s obituary for JFK the other day:

“When we think of him, he is without a hat, standing in the wind and the weather. He was impatient of topcoats and hats, preferring to be exposed, and he was young enough an tough enough to confront and to enjoy the cold and the wind of these times, whether the winds of nature or the winds of political circumstance and national danger. He died of exposure, but in a way that he would have settled for — in the line of duty, and with his friends and enemies all around, supporting him and shooting at him. It can be said of him, as of few men in a like position, that he did not fear the weather, and did not trim his sails, but instead challenged the wind itself, to improve its direction and cause it to blow more softly and more kindly over the world and its people.”

so good. from scott ellege’s comprehensive bio of e.b. white. also this is a great site for obituary lovers.

Moving on, I often forget about the apophthegm this blog’s existence is based upon — that one can rise above common medical conditions and participate in life like an average young person — and as of today my year of pax esophageal has ceased. All is well; my time in TX would not be complete without one last sojourn to UT health services.