ilyĀIMY.com

Heather and I set up and ready for VOM 300 in the Lair.

Tonight is the 300^th VOM – and it’s MLK Day.
Martin Luther King Jr Day. I saw one post about it. I try not to obsessively
scroll, ever – but today it was irresistible. Surely if I go a LITTLE bit
further down this page someone will say “hey, this is the holiday where we
celebrate the struggle for Civil Rights and we should acknowledge that now more
than ever” – but no, nothing.

Not that I’VE posted anything. I don’t know what to say. Anything
will be a lightning rod. Not just from the American Right who believes they
managed to eradicate all racism (except for what’s founded in the “correct”
reasons why Whites are superior, I guess) but from the American Left who would
know doubt say I didn’t say it right. It really feels like the Right sees any
number of sins to be excusable for the sake of a single cause, and the Left
sees no cause worth a single sin. A pox on both y’all’s glass houses.

Telly looking AMAZING for VOM 300.

Heather’s been getting difficult but not disastrous medical
news. My mom’s got bugs in her heater. I’ve got bugs on ilyAIMY.com and my
shoulder’s beginning to rebel from too much computer time. 2026, so far, has
not been a winner. (or mayhaps, I’ve simply not been winning at 2026).

Rereading 23 year-old Journal posts, I’m an emotional mix of
“I used to BE someone” and “yeah, someone who was DUMB!” – but sometimes it’s about
the quantity. 20 people on the list, a thousand miles, 48 states, 2 broken
strings and fighting the good fight. It’s a reminder not just that the Journey is
the Destination, but that you haven’t been ANYWHERE till you’re home again, and
I don’t remember ANYTHING except the stories. Who’s to say if I’m telling the
story truthfully, but it’s the way the story will exist.

And yet “There comes a time when silence is betrayal”
and so I’ll make a little post and step away, because “If I cannot do
great things, [at least] I can do small things in a great way”.

VOM 300. We gave a small community a great deal of hope
during a really hard time in the world. Plague and distrust, dishonesty and
fear. We came together every Monday night and played to the campfire of our
computer monitors, broadcasting noise into the dark. 6 years later I can only
claim to have started it. Thank Rowan for carrying the torch. Chris and Juels
for rekindling when we’re short on fuel. I just keep sticking my foot in my
mouth in the hopes of finding stairs in the dark.