A Codger is Gone

Goodbye, Richard Kipling

Hi, I’m Gary Ebersole, welcoming you back to Camp Codger with an episode that I never wanted to record. This is a belated goodbye to Richard Kipling, co-founder of the Camp Codger podcast, who died recently after a stroke. He was the inspiration for two old guys like us venturing into the world of online broadcasting. One evening over dinner a few years ago, Richard declared, “We’ve got some good insights about getting old, and we should do a podcast.” For 72 weeks, we did just that with our co-host, Randy Schultz.

Richard was one of my very best friends (it’s a small group since I’m not the most social animal), and his passing leaves a huge hole in my heart. I truly feel at a loss for words, which, as Richard would have noted, is not really a good thing for somebody trying to record a podcast. That said, a few things come to mind as I write these words. The first was a wise observation by Camp Codger listener Mike Riordan, a mutual friend of Richard and me. Mike reminds those of us mourning our dear friend that grief is the price we pay for loving so deeply. Mike also left me with the Japanese phrase “tomodachi wa eien desu” which means “friends are forever.” So very true, Mike. Thanks for the thoughts.

I was also reminded of a short, illustrated excerpt from a 2012 radio interview Terry Gross recorded with children’s book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. I discovered it when I was grieving the loss of my first wife, and its poignancy still brings me to tears. In the interview, Sendak tells Terry that he loves life but was at peace with aging and dying. He says that the hardest part of getting old is losing friends. In his words, “I cry a lot because I miss people. I cry a lot because they die, and I can’t stop them. They leave me, and I love them more.” I know how Sendak feels about losing friends. It was a powerful, moving conversation. The video excerpt is only five minutes and is well worth watching. I posted the link below, and also in the episode show notes.

I used to think that the idea that my world would grow smaller as I aged was a cliché. I was wrong. My world is smaller now. Good-bye, Richard. I’ll miss you.

Link to the Terry Gross interview with Maurice Sendak: https://www.nytimes.com/video/magazine/100000001970456/an-illustrated-talk-with-maurice-sendak.html