When I was in college but continuing for many years since, I played an online game called Federation II, and one of the players that I quickly bonded with was Barb. Barb actually worked for the service it was on (Genie) and I was staff for one of its areas, so we initially bonded over that. There were actually some get-togethers in the ‘90s, and I think what struck me about Barb was that she simultaneously treated me like an adult and also like one of her children. I think that’s why all of these years later we’d stayed in touch. We were co-workers from 1997-1998, and getting to go up to New York for work events and getting to hang out with her for the weekend was honestly a genuine joy. Her moving to London had greatly reduced the chances to see her, but our paths kept crossing both online and in person. She was that rarest of people for whom every time I saw her, it was like no time had passed, even if it had been years.

In the last month I have three people that I knew pass away; one from high school, one from college, one from (mostly) post-college life. All of them were part of groups that really helped shape who I am today, letting me be myself and not who I thought I had to be in order to “fit in” with the rest of the world. The world is much less richer without any of them. But Barb, I’m going to miss you so very much, and I’m so sad that we don’t get to hang out one more time.