Jess remembers Michael
Michael Jones --> here
I met Michael Jones in 1969 or 1970, when I was a Berkekely Physics grad student living a block and a half from the corner of Haight & Ashbury and working at the Rad Lab under Ken Crowe. Mike was a technician for Ken's experiments at the 184 inch Cyclotron there. I think his job title was "technician" but of course he was the guy who took care of business and made sure everything got done. He helped me complete my thesis work on muonium chemistry in liquids and taught me a lot about life generally. He was only 7 years older than me, but he knew everything. I had just gotten married for the first time, and when that relationship fell apart a few years later Mike helped me reimagine my personal life. Over the years I came to realize how essential his influence was to my passage through that transition.
Then a bunch of years passed. Years filled with new adventures, a new marriage, children, a career and more. Every few years I would get a call from Mike "to see how I was doing" and once or twice I think I even took the initiative to call him. I wish it had been more often.
The last time I saw Mike face to face was in Sacramento during the World Masters Athletics championships there. He and Linda drove down from his mountain retreat just to have dinner and catch up. It was a delight to see him and pump him for political insights just like in the old days. I resolved to get in touch more often, but I was not persistent enough and now it's too late. Damn!
Jess 11:28, 13 May 2013 (PDT)
