A Bygone Friend
Jun. 8th, 2003 11:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swestrupI was supposed to be working this morning, writing up some stuff for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
_sps_, but I'm waiting on e-mail from someone else before I can do that, so I'm sort of in a holding pattern here.
I've decided to use the time to write about an old, and long lost friend. I'm going to break slightly with LJ tradition and name names in this journal entry. The reason for that is that I harbor some hope that the individual this post is about, one Danny Bertrand, may actually see the thing some day.
You see, Danny is one of those folks in my life who, through no (or little) fault of my own has fallen through the cracks and vanished. I first met him when I was going to the (now defunct) Snowdon campus of Vanier Cegep. He had gotten a job administering the computer lab, a place where I spent much of my time.
He was a year or so senior to me and far more socially adjusted than I was. I thought at the time that he was very mature and sophisticated, and had a good sense of humor. (Current memories of behaviour that I though 'mature' then do not stand up to inspection..) Anyway, I got along well with him and a bunch of other computer nerds that hung around that lab. Most of them I've now lost touch with. (Whatever happened to Lora Wong? Or to ... Petriyska or something -- I don't even remember her name, although my memories indicate that she was interested in me, something to which I was oblivious at the time.)
However, losing touch with these folks, Danny included, was what I expected at the time. I was going on to University and didn't know whether or not I would ever see them again. They were mostly acquaintances anyway, and not close friends, so I didn't make any big effort to stay in touch.
But 5 or 6 years later Danny showed up back in my life. I was working for a communications company, writing embedded software, and Danny was hired on as a
programmer. It turned out he had found out about the job because he was dating the Owner's daughter. (The anglo IT group here in Montreal is small. Things like that happen all the time.) Anyway, we renewed our friendship and got on very well for the next couple of years.
And then Danny was struck by the loss of one or more family members. I don't remember all of the details, but Danny was devastated. He took a leave of absence and later moved to Calgary to be near to his parents.
He had left me with the phone number of his parents in Calgary and asked me to keep in touch. Well, I tried but I lost the paper with the phone number on it a few months later.
Every now and then, for the next year or so, I would come home to find a message on my answering machine from Danny, asking me how I was doing and why I hadn't called him. He never left his number, something that at the time caused me to have screaming fits at my phone.
I did make some attempts to contact him in Calgary, but there were dozens of listings for Bertrand there, and I had no way to narrow it down. I have difficulties making cold calls today, but back then my level of shyness was MUCH higher, making the thought of calling a stranger to ask if they were Danny all but inconceivable.
That was 10 or 15 years ago now, and I haven't heard from Danny in all that time. I was reminded about him a couple years back when I found the paper with the phone number on it (in a book). I have no idea what he thinks of me now, and that prevented me from trying the number. (I've since lost it again...).
I have done the occasional google search for him, but without luck. Maybe one day he'll google for his name, find this post, and drop me an e-mail. One can always hope.
_sps_, but I'm waiting on e-mail from someone else before I can do that, so I'm sort of in a holding pattern here. I've decided to use the time to write about an old, and long lost friend. I'm going to break slightly with LJ tradition and name names in this journal entry. The reason for that is that I harbor some hope that the individual this post is about, one Danny Bertrand, may actually see the thing some day.
You see, Danny is one of those folks in my life who, through no (or little) fault of my own has fallen through the cracks and vanished. I first met him when I was going to the (now defunct) Snowdon campus of Vanier Cegep. He had gotten a job administering the computer lab, a place where I spent much of my time.
He was a year or so senior to me and far more socially adjusted than I was. I thought at the time that he was very mature and sophisticated, and had a good sense of humor. (Current memories of behaviour that I though 'mature' then do not stand up to inspection..) Anyway, I got along well with him and a bunch of other computer nerds that hung around that lab. Most of them I've now lost touch with. (Whatever happened to Lora Wong? Or to ... Petriyska or something -- I don't even remember her name, although my memories indicate that she was interested in me, something to which I was oblivious at the time.)
However, losing touch with these folks, Danny included, was what I expected at the time. I was going on to University and didn't know whether or not I would ever see them again. They were mostly acquaintances anyway, and not close friends, so I didn't make any big effort to stay in touch.
But 5 or 6 years later Danny showed up back in my life. I was working for a communications company, writing embedded software, and Danny was hired on as a
programmer. It turned out he had found out about the job because he was dating the Owner's daughter. (The anglo IT group here in Montreal is small. Things like that happen all the time.) Anyway, we renewed our friendship and got on very well for the next couple of years.
And then Danny was struck by the loss of one or more family members. I don't remember all of the details, but Danny was devastated. He took a leave of absence and later moved to Calgary to be near to his parents.
He had left me with the phone number of his parents in Calgary and asked me to keep in touch. Well, I tried but I lost the paper with the phone number on it a few months later.
Every now and then, for the next year or so, I would come home to find a message on my answering machine from Danny, asking me how I was doing and why I hadn't called him. He never left his number, something that at the time caused me to have screaming fits at my phone.
I did make some attempts to contact him in Calgary, but there were dozens of listings for Bertrand there, and I had no way to narrow it down. I have difficulties making cold calls today, but back then my level of shyness was MUCH higher, making the thought of calling a stranger to ask if they were Danny all but inconceivable.
That was 10 or 15 years ago now, and I haven't heard from Danny in all that time. I was reminded about him a couple years back when I found the paper with the phone number on it (in a book). I have no idea what he thinks of me now, and that prevented me from trying the number. (I've since lost it again...).
I have done the occasional google search for him, but without luck. Maybe one day he'll google for his name, find this post, and drop me an e-mail. One can always hope.
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My swestrup and Danny story
Date: 2006-02-21 12:11 am (UTC)I thought I would finally post this, as I was planning to since about the time this was posted. When I started working at SR, Danny asked me who I thought was older, him or swestrup. I said "swestrup, because he acts older." A bit later, swestrup goes by the door of the office, pulling some crumpled up piece of paper along the floor by a string, cackling maniacally. Danny said to me "I'm a year older, and you say he acts older," and held up his fist at me.
Also, here's a cartoon that pretty much captures these guys, as well as the technology. swestrup liked to make a goofy face by hanging his jaw open and moving it to one side, as in the cartoon, as well as pushing the button like that, and Danny used to like to pretend to be moronic by sticking out his upper lip and putting his head forward, just like in the cartoon.
Re: My swestrup and Danny story
Date: 2006-02-21 12:51 am (UTC)Anyway, no I didn't mean Petra, but another slavic lady with a similar name that I met at Vanier.
Re: My swestrup and Danny story
Date: 2006-02-21 02:34 am (UTC)Re: My swestrup and Danny story
Date: 2006-02-21 02:38 am (UTC)Re: My swestrup and Danny story
Date: 2006-02-21 03:17 am (UTC)Re: My swestrup and Danny story
Date: 2006-02-22 06:15 pm (UTC)Moved the cartoon Re: My swestrup and Danny story
Date: 2006-02-23 12:05 am (UTC)