in memory of John Slatin

My friend John Slatin died this week. He wasn't a really close friend, but he was someone I liked a lot. I met him and his wife Anna Carroll through Body Choir, the freeform dance community I participated in for years and still have many social connections with.

Link to his obituary: http://www.legacy.com/statesman/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=106462227

John had leukemia for the last few years and underwent a lot of medical care. I mean, really a lot, including chemo, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. After that, he and Anna lived in isolation for 100 days in Houston. It takes a lot of valour, and he and Anna had it.

John was a man who became blind as an adult. He had a guide dog, Dillon, who has cancer too. I imagine Dillon will follow John to the other side, and that they will have each other as companions in the afterlife. That vision gives me comfort.

I liked John for his adventurousness. Imagine a blind man dancing in a crowded room! Or performing in a choreographed dance at the Kennedy Center. Or becoming blind as an adult and using his UT faculty position to advocate for making the web accessible to those with disabilities. He never seemed to feel sorry for himself--he just adjusted.

John also published a blog for a while, called The Leukemia Letters, that chronicled his journey, and that Anna and others close to him posted on when he was unable. He was a good writer; I enjoyed reading it from time to time. Click the title of this post to go there.

I also liked John's sweet nature and his intelligence. I wish I had known him better.