In the internet world, there’s a strong polarity between companies that create “Proprietary” software that is kept secret, developed by employees and that you have to pay for and “Open Source” software that is written by contributors around the world and is given away.  Shawn Coyne authored an article on stevenpressfield.com, called The Bubble Men that pretty much sums up the difference between ”Open Source” and ”Proprietary”.

But, one one friend of mine emailed me after reading this sums up this article even better;

“I wonder how many times in one day we each accidentally walk past a person, whose heart we could very easily reach out and touch.  I think I’ll look out with different eyes tomorrow…”

It’s definitely worth a read. Find it here.

And, if you haven’t read any of Mr. Pressfield’s books yet, I suggest starting with The War of Art and Do The Work.  Also, find him here

Brad Meltzer's website, circa 2000

I recently saw this Ted Video by Brad Meltzer called How to Write Your Own Obituary, which I highly recommend.  Brad was a client of mine from 2000-2005 in the days of small, narrow, author websites (see screenshot to the right).  We say howdy via email every couple of years, and I guess it’s about time to say hi again.  So, “Hi Brad, loved the website! Let’s have lunch next time you’re in Colorado!”

Anyway, I’d like to add a bit to his legacy that he can choose to use in his obituary or not.

Early on in our relationship, at about the time when The First Counsel had come out, He had a book signing in Denver at the Tattered Cover.  I jumped in the car and headed down there. He was a client from the DC area at this point and I’d never met him in person and wanted to finally meet him.  I enjoyed the book reading and the quick chat we had in the long line afterwards.  Since my Mom had just finished reading The Tenth Justice and really liked it, I purchased The First Counsel and Brad gratefully autographed it for my Mom.  He didn’t know my Mom, but that was ok.  He said just the right thing that a Mom wants to hear about her son.  It shows just how much that a “Mom” means to Brad and I’m very grateful for it (as a side note, it’s a nice compliment to me too! Thanks again!).  It supports everything he talks about in the video about his Mom and what I’ve heard from him about her since her passing.

In his Ted talk, he speaks about his mother and her impact on his life as part of her legacy after her passing.  There’s much that he says about his mother that I could say about mine, but you can view his talk below.

Jump ahead 11 years.

Last January, my Mom passed away too.  In being home in VA and helping my family go through some things, I discovered The First Counsel on the book shelf and opened it up to see the inscription that had been there for more than 10 years and had to smile.  It brought back the memory of meeting Brad and working with him over the years.  I also still have a post card he sent promoting another book with a handwritten note on it about my Mom. It’s so easy to not take the time for a personal note, but so meaningful when you do.

A couple days later as I was waiting in the airport for my flight home, I started reading it.  Unfortunately, at the book signing, I only bought the one copy and had neglected to get a copy for myself, but was grateful to have a chance to read it… finally.  I read almost all of it on my 2 flights across the country (and a long layover in Atlanta) and, Brad, this is a long time coming, but I loved it!  Keep ‘em coming! I’m working through the ones I’ve missed.

So, Thanks to Brad for increasing his legacy by making an impact in my life and my Mom’s life (and being a great client).  I know she was a fan of your books and I wish you could have met her – and I wish I could have met your Mom too (who knows, maybe there’s a place for them to meet and share stories about us).

It’s amazing what a simple inscription to a fan in a book can do.  And that night at the Tattered Cover, you weren’t a client, but you certainly turned me into a fan (and I still am).

So, as part of finishing Brad’s Obituary: “He was a… son who loves his Mom.”

Thank you!

P.S. here’s Brad’s great talk:

TEDxMIA – Brad Meltzer – How To Write Your Own Obituary

Olive Oil (with some rosemary)
A lemon
Some brown sugar – a tablespoon or so
Couple cloves of garlic
Dijon Mustard
Salt and pepper

Mix it up well and let the fish sit in it for a little while and then sauté.  Sear for a couple minutes on high heat on each side and then cook on low heat until flaky and delicious!  The kids will love it!

@ryanseacrest and @MikeStelzner

This one, well, it’s just funny (A classic from last month)!

@rainnwilson and @joshspear

@Gangsta_Claus tweet

Fortunately, Someone I work with, @paulknipe, translated this for me:

“Have you heard the news that I have a Twitter page? I highly encourage you to follow me right away. Click the follow button. It doesn’t cost anything.”

Thanks Paul, I think you are right on!  (But how would I know, I imagine I’m a little out of touch…)