Farewell from Danger Mouse


From: dmar@rp.CSIRO.AU (David Mar)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: RETURN: Something Long Overdue
Date: Tue, 5 Mar 96 05:30:46 GMT
Organization: Grapevine's Posting Service
Lines: 133

The door to the Place opens quietly and a figure walks in, hanging
a hat on the hatstand as he surveys the interior. A few people take
a glance, and one or two open their eyes wide in recognition, but
mostly there is no fuss.

The figure approaches the bar, where Mike, just finished serving
another patron, turns to him and says simply, "Hi DM. Long time no see."

For it is indeed Danger Mouse. "Hi Mike, nice to see you. Can I have
an orange juice, please?"

"No tea?" says Mike, handing over a tall glass of juice with plenty of
the thick pulpy stuff left in it.

"Geez, it _has_ been a long time, hasn't it?" DM shakes his head.
"No Mike. I haven't been drinking any caffeine for over a year now."

Mike nods simply and goes to serve another patron, knowing his questions
will be answered in good time.

DM heads to the chalk line and stares into the fire for a few seconds.
The general hubbub dies down a little.

"The last time I actually stood here, in this place, was back in late
1994. I made some farewells as I left to devote time to finishing off
my PhD thesis. Since then I have sent a few short messages through the
teletyper, and of course all the ADMIN posts.

"I've been meaning to actually get up and walk through that door over
there for some time now. I finished the submission copy of my thesis
in August last year. It has been examined, and passed subject to minor
emendation. I completed the emendations in January, and in a couple of
days will pick up the printed, bound copies of my emended thesis from
the printer and hand it in to the faculty. Then I can book a graduation
date.

"I'm looking forward to that ceremony very much. It will be the end of
a chapter in my life which included both a lot of fun and a lot of hard
work. Basically, I funned around a lot here during the first few years
of my PhD, and then had to put in all the hard work over the past year
and a bit. Anyone else here who sees themselves in a similar situation
should take some careful stock of themselves. I never usually gave
advice in Callahan's, but this piece comes from hard experience.

"I've found myself a job, as anyone who knows me may be able to tell
by the new e-address at the top of this posting. The old address still
works, and will probably continue working until after I'm dead, knowing
the sysadmin at my university. :-)  I'm working for the Australia
Telescope National Facility - not as an astronomer, but as a web
designer and programmer. Not bad, really. I'm happy doing this, and I
honestly don't think I would be as happy doing research astronomy. Oh
well, c'est la vie.

"I now have a wonderful girlfriend, who has taken over eating up my
spare time from my thesis. :-)  Life is pretty good.

"Which brings me to the big question. Do I need or want to return here?
I think the answer is no.

"My newsreading time shrunk a lot when I was finishing my thesis, and
I'm not sure I can fit it all in again. I'd love to be able to resubscribe
to alt.callahans and spend time here again. But I would have to devote
myself to it in a way which I don't think I can any more. I put a lot
of effort into this group before I left, and have continued taking care
of the ADMIN files even when I wasn't here. I love this group too much.
If I came back, I would end up spending hours every day here, going
through the threads, responding and replying, talking to people, making
peace in any arguments which may arise, and generally becoming concerned
with how things are, how we relate to one another, and how we can
possibly all become better people through it all.

"So, sadly, for me and I imagine for others who wish to see me back
here (maybe there are some!), I shall be leaving again after I make a
toast.

"With such a decision, it is also time to hand over the reins of the
ADMIN stuff. I have already passed stewardship of the a.c web pages
to shadowcat, who I imagine many of you here must know. I will also be
handing him the keys of the ADMIN posts shortly, and you will see them
emenating from his address and not mine.

"Before I toast, I'd just like to say something regarding a certain
exchange which has been brought to my attention recently:"

>: >"_Latin for All Ocassions_" Big Al supplies, "Writ by one of those
>: >people who do stuff for national lampoon.  Incidentally:"
>: >Carpe DM            Somebody grab the aussie astronomer and drag him back
>: >                     in here.
>
>: Wouldnt Carpe DM be "Seize the Gamemaster"?
>
>/* chuckles softly.  "DM stands for David Mar, or his nom-de-Place,
>Danger Mouse.  A great person who has not been around here in a great
>while."
>
>"Oh, he's an astronomer and an Australian, too.  That probably
>helps that to make sense, now."
>
>/*, purple guy, who liked Big Al's definition of Carpe DM.

"I liked it too. :-)  And indeed, here I am, albeit briefly.

"Please, anyone who has missed me (and I am under no illusions, but I
figure maybe there's one or two of you out there!), feel free to write
to me. I'd love to hear how you are doing yourselves. And now..."

DM raises his glass high. It sparkles in the light, bright points
picked out in glowing red and orange by the fire, blue-white by the
general lights of the bar, and green by the strange glowing thing in
the corner.

"To Callahan's. So much more than the sum of its parts, or indeed, any
one part. It lives in our hearts, the people here now, and the people
here in the memories of others.

"To graduation. Persevere, and your dreams will come true.

"To change. May shadowcat look after this Place as I have always
tried to do.

"To constancy. Things go on without us. And sometimes that's good.

"To my friends who are still here, to the ones who have also left, to
the new people I have never met. Share, love, and live. Tolerate. Be
gentle. Help people. And look after yourselves."

DM drains the glass in two gulps and flings it into the flames, where
it shatters with a tinkling crash.

On his way out, DM hugs everyone who holds still long enough to be
grabbed.

- Danger Mouse.