In Memory of Nick Wedler

Just got the news that a friend of mine died in a scuba diving accident in Egypt – about a week ago.

RIP Nick Wedler

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It’s a funny thing, death. It comes for us all eventually. When it happens at the end of a long, fulfilled life we still feel sad, but we are not surprised by it.
But death is not always so patient. Some times it just reaches out and grabs someone who is right in the middle of life, who is busy living, who still has dreams for the future and many expected years in which to enjoy the many pleasures of life; someone who is still alive and healthy and fit. My reaction to that is disbelief.
It just doesn’t seem natural that Nick is dead.
I first met him at a poetry reading. It must have been in 2000 or 2001, because we were still holding them at Radost. He’d studied Russian literature and could recite Russian poetry by heart. I was quite impressed. I soon found out that he was knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects.
He had strong opinions, that’s for sure, and was very idealistic. He tried to set up a utopian community in the east of the Czech Republic, and he had a lot of brilliant ideas for it, but somehow it never took off.
Then he went to Denmark and I know he loved it there. He’d stop by sometimes when he was back in Prague, we’d smoke a few joints and he’d tell me of his travels. He was a great traveler.
He was an animal lover, and left behind a super cool dog, a huge, black, totally mellow creature named D.O.G. My kids love D.O.G. I understand he’s been taken in by some Czech friends, and I’m happy to hear that.
I’m sorry to hear you’re gone, Nick. I still don’t quite believe it. You will always be remembered.