merlin:

My “old butcher”:Arthur McA. Miller, Ph.D.

Mac. Mac Miller.

To me? A professor, poetry teacher, faculty advisor, thesis committee member, bon vivant, raconteur, when-I-needed-it ass-kicker, John Ruskin historian, secret caregiver, maniac, and my fucking personal hero for at least three semesters.

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I punched the heart button so hard on this one that I think I fucked up my trackpad.

It’s great on the surface because it’s a story. It’s something more than what most people want to share on any given day and, as always, that’s more than welcome.

But, there’s a visceral level of appreciation for me because I got to see where the seeds of this story came from. In a conversation last weekend, Merlin and I talked (among other things) about creative failure, poetry classes and pathetic fallacies. All outside of the specific context of Mac, the “old butcher.” Now, with this new information, a new picture is painted. A gloriously detailed picture that lends even more insight to what I already thought was a great visit. Soon, I’ll finish editing the video and I’ll get to share it with the rest of you.

This idea of mentorship is so, so important. I just thought today about all the people I have mentored or continue to mentor. I thought about the things I say and do for them and the growth I’ve seen them achieve, and how I have never really had an “old butcher” of my own to keep me growing. I’d sure be honored if Merlin would be my old butcher. Because, even though there’s not that many years between us, I sure do respect where he’s coming from. And that’s a start.

Sa-lute.