SPUG: Visiting Tim Maher

[Michael R. Wolf]

Earlier this week, I visited Tim Maher.  It would mean a lot to him if you would, too.

Because I live about 6 blocks from Tim in Ballard, I used to see him in the neighborhood with his wife, Yeshe.  Over the years, his Perl (and other) training slowed down (as did mine), so we'd trade stories about post-SPUG activities.  Tim had begun teaching psychology, and enjoying his music.  Later, he claimed to be officially retired.

When I saw him at the beginning of the summer, he was using a walker.  Last week, I saw Yeshe and she told me he was no longer leaving the house.

One of the things I liked best about SPUG was that there was a sense of community, not merely a shared technical interest.  The connections I made at SPUG and OSCON were more than professional networking.  They were a critical part of my life and my self-identity.

My wife Wendy is fond of saying "Community is who shows up".  

In its prime, SPUG was a community with a lot of people showing up.  Tim was a catalyst for that happening.  Even though NY claims to be the first Perl Monger group, SPUG has bragging rights to the first Perl _user_ group, having started meeting before the PM moniker took root.  Tim was instrumental in this, and even won a White Camel award for this community building work.

Now, "Community is who shows up" has a different flavor.  Tim has difficulty speaking, but he can still understand conversations around him.  And he definitely appreciates the company.  If you can show up for a visit, it would make a huge difference.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like to hear more, or call Yeshe on (206) 789-8924 to schedule a time.

Thanks, SPUG.

-- 
Michael R. Wolf
    MichaelRWolf at att.net  |  LinkedIn.com/in/MRWolf  |  +1-(206)-679-7941
        All mammals learn by playing