It has been a year since Garner got an e-mail from Tempus Fugitive's girlfriend, saying he was overdue from Afghanistan. I had hoped against hope that Tempus would have been caught by rebels that would appreciate what an amazing guy he is and let him go. Unfortunately, this turned out not to be the case. I also cannot help but feeling guilty. Tempus was an amazing guy who went all over the world in interesting places, clashed head on with the ugliest sides of the human nature and made a difference in times of despair. Losing him makes me feel like the world, and me by association, have let him down. I don't know where he had found the courage to put up with the human race. It certainly wasn't the bottle, I tried it when the bad news arrived and I felt worse, something I never considered possible. I wish I had met him in person, like Marcia did in 2004. I wish I had given him a Sudoku to distract him during the dreary hours he had had to spend with commitees. Unfortunately, I can only raise a glass to the memory of the Time that has flown, the time he spent on this ungrateful planet. [img:6cdb81ef78]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/medevac/542d95ef.jpg[/img:6cdb81ef78] [img:6cdb81ef78]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/medevac/f17bbb33.jpg[/img:6cdb81ef78]
Sadly, ideology is not subject to darwanism. Tempus was an aide worker in hostile territory, doing what he could to help save lives and improve lives and, well, doing a hell of a lot more to make this world a better place than i've ever done. darwinism says that the fittest survives. surely, a mindset, an ideology that says 'risk your own skin to patch up the skin of others' would encourage the species to survive... but ideology doesn't quite work that way. If it did, surely the sort of ideology that says 'hey, there's a white guy who speaks english. let's shank him and teach those great satans a lesson!' would have died out long ago... instead, in the 21st century, slavery, racism, intollerance, religious persecution, sexual inequality, and general defication of human rights are still common place. me? i'm just an economic consumer who contributes little more than keeping currency in circulation. Tempus was a goddamn hero. now, is it fair that i'm here and he's not? when's life ever been fair.
I arrived too late to meet him on the boards, but just reading some of the stuff you linked to, and what you say about him Avgi, I have a great big lump in my throat. This world can be a wonderful beautiful place, and the next minute, it turns over and shows its sick sad underbelly, like a dragon on a hoard, it's fascinating and glittery, but also cruel and can bite you up and swallow without chewing. People like Tempus are all too rare, meeting them is a privilege, becoming one is the greatest honor and the greatest deed. No doubt that whatever the afterlife holds, whatever the god(s), he deserves a comfortable cloud and an endless stock of booze, and plenty of peace and happiness. My thoughts go out to him and those who loved him (his girlfriend was called Kat, so as well as being a wonderful human being, he had good taste !) and I shall wear his Roadkill bunny in remembrance.
Even just on the level that Tempus was a member of this board, he was one of the most level-headed, down to earth people around, he had a wicked sense of humour, and was someone whose contribution to a discussion was always welcomed. He's been missed. And to echo the sentiments of those who have already posted, he was a hero. I could never do what he did.
I'm so glad you posted this, Avgi. I've been thinking a lot about Steve, lately. I hesitated for a long time before writing any more of [i:8055e5bc8d]2001: A Board Odyssey[/i:8055e5bc8d], because Steve happened to be one of the main characters, and I felt funny about writing the story after we lost him. But, as Chris pointed out: [quote:8055e5bc8d]i don't think people will see you using the name of Tempus as disrespectful, though. i don't see how it's a sign of respect to go, 'oh no! you can't use that name! HIDE IT! what were you thinking?!'[/quote:8055e5bc8d] So I'm working harder than ever before on that story now, because I feel a bit like it's something I can do in his memory. Steve was a very human person, full of righteous anger at the injustices he saw, but quick to extend generosity and understanding to people, and incredibly driven in his work. I found his accounts thought-provoking and inspirational. I and my friends at church have continued to pray for Steve, Kat and his family. I don't know if any real 'closure' can ever be achieved till we know what happened to him, but the sadness has at least lessened over the past year. But the good memories and the deep respect for the man that he was will not lessen.
Strange, I was thinking about Tempus a few days back. Something like: "Did anyone ever hear anything about him again?". I guess that for doing heroic stuff you need to put your life on the line once in a while. At least he's not been forgotten.
I second all of your thoughts. My first impulse when I realized this thread was about Tempus, was to write that I actually thought of him a while ago, when I was at an exhibition of a group like Médecins Sans Frontières, and their work, in the town hall which I related to him and his dissapearance. Then I red your posts, and almost each of them said, "You know, just recently I've been thinking of him", and that really says a lot - except for one -or two?- of us, no one ever met him in person, still a lot of people remember him, not just here on board, but in situations in their daily lifes.
I wasn't on the board long before he dissapeared but knowing that anyone willing to do such amazing work with such a risk of danger is always someone worth remembering and is a face to look up to.
I've been trying to think of something to say on this thread all day, but I can't come up with anything adequate. The man was a legend. End of.
I met Steve in Melbourne in January of last year. He disappeared not to loong after and it has been quite weird since. I interviewed him for my PhD and will be getting a dedication at the beginning I figured along the lines of "he did the job that was in front of him" but I'll be opening this up to suggestions when I'm a lot closer to submitting my thesis. He is missed and he is remembered.
I thought I would add this: Steve was the first board member I met in person, and after we had arranged to meet, my family were worried that, being an "internet friend", he was probably a psychopath who would try to rape and murder me. The irony.
I let my mom read several of Steve's posts a while back. Then I told her when he disappeared. Like Marcia's mom, every few weeks she asks if anything has been heard about him. He and his family are in my mom and dad's prayers and I think of him often. People like him are reasons for and against believing in a god. Only a god could give someone like him the courage and care to do what he did. No god worth serving would take away such a blessing.
I was also thinking about Tempus recently. Maybe it's contagious, but I know one thing, it's a good thing to do. Not only because he was a good person doing unselfish things, he even dedicated his vacation to helping others, but also because of why he disappeared. Do we want to live in a world where people like him, or most any people really, are killed just because they happen to be at the worong place in the wrong time?
I think it is contagious. I was also thinking about him recently- he was one heck of a guy. For a long time after he left the board I thought I would just log onto the boards some day and there’d be a post from him to say that he was caught up in trouble but had came out of it all OK. He done so much for so many people and I think that many people here felt that we were better people from just knowing him through the boards. He helped to raise our awareness of issues that he had personal contact with around the world, and of course I remember his sense of humor!! If anyone here is in contact with his girlfriend could they please pass one our regards (and perhaps a link to this thread to let her know he’s still in our thoughts)
The last time I spoke to Tempus on MSN was when he was in Hong-Kong, I think. He was shopping for new gear for his company, and was feeling a bit bored during the reviews. I had sent him some music, and he liked it. I miss him. :-(
I too think about him, wonder what happened, from time to time. I must admit I didn't really follow what he actually did, just thought he travelled around a lot, until after he went missing and we all started talking about it.
Wow. I was also thinking of him last week, and had chatted to some of you guys about it on MSN. My condolences to his family. He was a great man.
Life isn't fair. I will probably never know if Tempus Fugitive got the postcard I sent to him, and I never got the one he was going to send me, but I won't forget that we would have if life had been less horribly unfair. I am glad I got to know just a little about a fine person like Steve.
[quote:484f0557ca="Orrdos"]I've been trying to think of something to say on this thread all day, but I can't come up with anything adequate. The man was a legend. End of.[/quote:484f0557ca] Same here Doors. Though I spoke to Tempus occasionally during group chats on MSN, I regret never being able to meet him in person. He was indeed a legend.
I was just thinking of him the other day, that's what reminded me to come back here and check on how things were going. I never really knew the guy, or spoke with him, either directly or indirectly, but I know he is a sad loss for the world, not just those who knew him.
He was a really good bloke. He's the kind of person that restores your faith in the human race. But then, the whole reason that we're posting in this thread is more than enough to eradicate that totally. Sometimes different people can seem like whole different species. Tempus was one of the good ones, and he'll always be remembered as such. a genuinely good person.
[quote:ceae20cb67="In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway"]If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.[/quote:ceae20cb67]
