Sooner: year one

The following is a transcription of the letter I mailed to Jonas this morning.

March 12, 2004

Mr Jonas Jansson, The "Official Benrick Guinea"
C/o Claes Nilsson (he is Jonas' good friend)
Fikkesgarten, 12, 6tr (he lives on the floor no6!)
12 344 Stockholm, Sweden

Dear Jonas,

Thank you for being so open about your life changing adventures in your blog. You are an inspiration to as many as a handful or even two handfuls of people. I offer you encouragement and support along your way.

I too am changing my life with the help of the Benrick book. It is day ten in my quest to change my life "radical style" in the Benrick tradition. As you are fully aware, this means I've reached the point along the path which brings me to you. I have greatly enjoyed reading about your adventures in your blog, a document that will surely receive the recognition it deserves as the global community comes to understand its importance.

Regardless, I note in the comments of your blog that many people simply stop by and wish you well on the tenth day of their respective journeys. I believe this is a fine approach and in the spirit of the directive, but it feels a little informal, a little distant. Maybe even a little cold.

So I have opted to send you this hand written letter along with the small tokens of my admiration which accompany. It is my hope, Jonas that we will become life long friends. When you find yourself in New York you can crash on my sofa, which is very comfy and altogether crash-worthy. When I am in Sweden you can take me to the record store and help me pick out just the right tunes to listen to on my daily commute. Perhaps, sometime in the future, we will plan to vacation together and meet up in such exotic locations as Tampa or Branson or Finland, assuming, of course, that your world traveling plans will take you to any of those far flung vistas.

And now, Jonas, I'd like to provide a brief word about the goodies included in this package. To begin with I hope you will wear and enjoy the "I heart N Y" baseball cap. I purchased this just for you at a tourist stand in Times Square today because I read that you liked baseball caps in your blog when you learned how to barter. I opted for black because I think it will nicely offset your Scandinavian coloring and help you attract the chicas.

Note also the mini Statue of Liberty. She is a symbol of the freedoms I enjoy as an American, freedoms which you may or may not enjoy yourself. I just don't know becuse I'm not well versed in the civil liberties of the Sweeds. I hope you get to have civil liberties too and if you don't I will help you immigrate.

Finally, I have included a package of America's least favorite snack treat, the Circus Peanut. These tasteless dumplings of orangey squishiness are perfect for serving to people you do not like, or giving Underdog constipation, or rationing in case of holocaust. I include them because many of my other European friends have a fascination with them and I wind up sending them across the Atlantic in little care packages with some regularity. I hope you enjoy them and feel free to contact me to request more. I don't mind.

You may contact me any time and for any reason by mail at the following address:

Brian Blaho
XXX XXXXXXX, Apt 2
XXXXXXXXXX, NJ XXXXX, USA

Or electronically at
brian_blaho@yahoo.com
http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~blaho

Oh, Jonas. Be my friend.

Respectfully Yours,
Brian

Today I must introduce myself to someone I know but never speak to.