Uncle Bob is dead.

Getting the news of his death has left me feeling ashamed because I was mean and cruel to him. I had not spoken to Bob in 7 years because I was angry at him for being mean and cruel to my dad. Hate and anger is poison in your life because the person you are holding a grudge against just might drop dead and then your issue with that person will never be resolved.   The truth of the matter is that my Uncle Bob was a very important person to me. Had he not done stand up comedy in Washington D.C. in 1978 then my dad would have not taken me to see him and I might not have turned out to be a stand up comedian. After he died I was flooded with good memories of him and I will be forever haunted by the fact that neither one of us reached out to each other to fix the ill feelings that kept us using silence against each other.   My Uncle Bob's life was a victory because he found a woman who loved him, he had a successful career and he retired to a lovely farm in Vermont.   This episode is a repeat. It was recorded in July 2009 in his back yard just after the sun went down. It was the 2nd podcast I ever posted. We were a little drunk when we recorded this and I only had one microphone that we passed back and forth. It is a happy memory and his advice to me at the end about getting your soul damaged is invaluable.   Of the many happy memories I have of him one of them happened while I was visiting him when I was in my 30s. The James Taylor song 'Shower The People' came on the radio and he sang it to me as he hugged me tight. I would give anything to have that moment back now.   I wish that he were still alive so that I could tell him "I'm sorry Bob. I love you."