A big force in my life...

You know the critical people you meet in your life? Well, I’m gonna miss Fred Kirby - he was a mentor to me…

In 2005, I was living a contradiction. I was an environmentalist working for a nuclear company and Fred was more than happy to point that out. He challenged me, asked me how much I needed materially and philosophized about priorities. He got through… I was off to Manitoba for a new life.

In my first summer back from Manitoba, again Fred challenged me… this time with a massive woodpile. I don’t know if any of you have been chastised by a man in his late seventies while stacking wood, but some familiar phrases were, “I could have done that in half the time as you when I was your age” or “If I was a younger man, you would be embarrassed”. Obi Wan Kenobi would have taken notes.

Some of the most formative social, political and justice-oriented discussions I have had in this life took place while breaking my back stacking wood for Fred. We talked about theory, places and people. Indeed, Fred loved people and foremost, his community. He catalyzed me, taught me the importance of keeping power honest and of putting others first. Most significantly, he taught me to challenge injustice when I saw it.

My first columns were written with heavy guidance from Fred. They came back full of red ink and nasty comments… but always tempered with a pat on the back. He felt I had something to say… and I did. But without Fred’s guidance, I might not have found that voice.

I wasn’t the only one. Fred loved youth and inspired countless young people in his time to work for justice and think beyond themselves. To be cliché, if there were more people like Fred, we would have justice in this world. I will miss him - mentors come into our lives, but it is up to us to keep learning after they are gone.

A quote for you my friend, I will miss you very much. Love you Fred.

“The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love”, William Sloane Coffin, Jr.