For Jane Hines, Upon Retiring

A Letter to the Editor
by Rick Dietrich

Dear Jane,

A few days ago I sent you the seventy-fifth column I have written for Voice since you kindly invited me to contribute a little more than fourteen years ago. The math is clear: If I’ve written 75 columns in 14 years . . . let’s see—the math may be clear, but that doesn’t mean I can do it—that’s a little better than 5 per year, which means I’ve missed some issues. This is not to mention the columns that have been late, including those faxed handwritten from Montreat and Cairo.

In short, you have been kind throughout these years. I do remember in particular though the first time I missed a column—January of 1993. First, I was only going to be late. Then, I was going to be really late. Then, I called you. And you asked me what would happen if I didn’t get the column in at all. And you asked: Would the world come to an end?

I thought so. But you assured me, kindly, that it would not. And it did not. Hal Lindsey died a little death that day—at least, I hope, he shivered a bit— but your kindness gave me a little life.

That wasn’t the only time.

Love, Rick