It's about time

My friend Tom called me at a rather late hour last night and it sounded like he might have had a beer or two or ten...he called to toast the passing of a "great" poet....Seamus Heaney.  I could tell by his voice inflections that Seamus Heaney was a person of talent, notoriety and respect and yet I, in my little tiny cubicle world, did not know who he was.  I knew when Tom was speaking that I should have known who Seamus Heaney was....but I didn't. Since I had been woken up by the call I wasn't fully focused when I heard the name so I think I simply said...."that's too bad."

My friend Tom has introduced me to many bits and pieces of information over the 52 years of our friendship but I do not recall him ever mentioning Seamus Heaney before last night's phone call.

Tom is a prolific writer and poet in his own right and yet shares his work with very few people.  He works completely in longhand and while he does own a laptop he only uses it on very rare occasions to  research information when that information is not readily available in a book or a periodical.

He likes holding the written word as it appears on a piece of paper.

He doesn't read my blog because it's transmitted electronically and electronic transmissions are attached to a segment of our current environment that he chooses not to experience.

He did get a cell phone a few years ago but I can promise you that the ringer is off and maybe three or four people actually have the number....which wouldn't matter anyway because he doesn't answer it.

Being one, if not the most, politically astute person I actually know, it always baffles me how Thomas Joesph Sullivan stays so current.

Not only does he stay current but he actually knows so much more than I do about physical reality (especially political reality) that when he mentioned the passing of Seamus Heaney I immediately knew that I was suppose to know who Seamus Heaney was.

JUST EXACTLY LIKE YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO KNOW WHO SEAMUS HEANEY  IS...BUT YOU DON'T.....DO YOU?

JUST LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THOMAS JOESPH SULLIVAN IS.

For those of you who actually know Tom you are probably thinking that it's about time someone blew his horn and for those of you who knew who Seamus Heaney was I simply say....."thanks for keeping it a secret.....you did a good job."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamus_Heaney

http://search.yahoo.com/search?cs=bz&p=Seamus%20Heaney&fr=fp-tts-900&fr2=ps&woeid=2442047

It's harder to blow Tom's horn because he refuses to publish.

In 1993 Seamus Heaney won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In 1966 Thomas Joesph Sullivan intercepted two passes in one game as a defensive back for Santa Monica Community College.

Two years ago Thomas Joesph Sullivan intercepted prostate cancer after being told there was nothing they could do for him.

He never shared the battle with his family.  His privacy is one of the basic cornerstones of his existence.

Last night he called and introduced me to Seamus Heaney even though I'm pretty sure he thought I knew who he was...but then again El Tigre might have known that it was time for me to learn one more thing I didn't know.

I feel very certain that not only should we both know who Seamus Heaney is but if you ever get a chance to read, meet or talk to Thomas Joesph Sullivan you would wonder why he hadn't been part of your life before now.

Seamus Heaney and Thomas Joesph Sullivan.....
two world class Irish literary blokes
with passion, knowledge and blarney jokes
so much brain power so much control
some parts of their body and all of their soul
one you can read about with a touch of a key
and the other you can hear about only through me
A famous poet has passed and the moment is calm
but I feel better because I introduced you
to
Tom

I know it's a little bit late

BUT........you know the old saying........

it's better late than............

1) clever 2) feather 3) never

I'm going to be reading and listening to Mr. Heaney today.....maybe even visit his Facebook page.

One of my immediate goals is to build a Facebook page for Tom
and start posting some of his work.

You truly have no idea how hard he will fight this idea.........

But I'm pretty sure he will thank me later

or not.

Michael Timothy McAlevey