christopher

Dear Scott,
The last time we spoke was when I first entered college about five years ago. Now, I am graduating and I wanted to thank you for your influence on me at a very early age when I most needed it. Its difficult sometimes to articulate how much an individual can influence another, how fate lets the chips fall where they may, and how much simple words (or the act of writing them) can make a person pause and reflect on what it means to be in the world.
Ive recently been accepted in a graduate-level writing program, a Master of Arts in Writing: Publishing to be specific, and I think I have you to thank (or blame) on that skill. Ive found that the simple act of writing a letter, or a story, or even a weirdly academic paper can a little salvation, where the only person you can make laugh is the person you were at that specific time. Its the moments where I laugh at myself where I most think of you because you were the one to teach me a sense of irony, of satire, and most importantly a sense of self that was unique and not someone elses to mold. It took only a nudge, I think, to be a person like me in that direction and I also think it saved me from the darker demons in my nature. It was a push in a steep direction at the perfect time.
I wanted to write this thank you note not because I want to build any connections that arent to be connected, but to simply say that Im graduating because of your influence on me and I needed to tell you that.

Sincerely with Great Affection,
Christopher
Portland, OR