Dell and I.

My good friend, Dell Price, and I at Richard Silk's place, around 2010.

I had an interesting relationship with Dell.  I don't suppose that statement is in any way unique or original, as that was probably the way it was with Dell and all his relationships.  He always brought his whole self into any situation and, like it or not, there was no slow immersion with him.  It was sink or swim.

I met him early on in the school year of 1979.  He was maybe around 24 at the time and by then he was already a legend among his peers.  All of the things we think about him were already true at that time.  His hard working, get-things-done attitude was there, as were his passions for hiking, traveling, playing cards, and of course his indomitable spirit.  These all emanated from him. 

I was a very impressionable 19 year old with a year of college under my belt but hardly any social graces or people I could call friends.  Dell saw within me something more and, over the years, coaxed those qualities out of me.  There were things he tried to get me to do, like drink alcohol, which I have never done for personal reasons.  His attempts were somewhat forced upon me at the time, but he quickly acquiesced with prompting from Charles and it was never raised again.  He knew there was a line and respected it.

I have always had an enthusiastic tendency that bordered on mania, especially when I got excited about something.  This used to really pump up Dell.  I did not realize it until later, but he would often look forward to my bursts of energy regarding some new thing I discovered and took great joy out of watching me delve into whatever that was.  As I grew older those effervescent moments decreased in both their periodicity and duration, but he was always enthralled when I was roused. 

We developed a respect for each other.  My respect for him had always been there, some out of fear and some out of his accomplishments.  He seemed to have developed an appreciation for me in my quest for understanding the world around me, my card prowess, and my somewhat warped sense of humor.  With the history between us and the respect we shared, we had a deep and abiding friendship that I have only known a few times in my life.

I cannot say that time spent with Dell was always easy, for he was demanding and quick tempered.  But we could talk about anything and he wasn't shy about sharing his opinions on the matter.  Like the alcohol situation, he liked to toy with your beliefs but respected them when he discovered the convictions held.  If you waffled on something; showed any wishy-washy type of behaviour, he was quick to pounce.  He preferred the company of people who were well centered in their opinions.  He didn't have to agree with them to appreciate them.

I remember a time when a number of us were listening to some music he liked.  I don't recall the song, but the theme centered around equalizer settings.  The exact levels of each channel a person chose to influence the song's output was critiqued.  Each of us played with the device until the harmonics were to our liking; then he would thoughtfully consider the values and results.  When it was my turn, I played with the sliders and discovered the best setting occurred when they were all set to their maximum values.  "I guess you like it loud," he said to me, with a grin.  As I was just discovering music for the first time the choice was understandable.

I do not know what difference Dell made in my life.  It is an unquantifiable thought, but I am certain he has had an impact on making me who I am today.  I think a lot of us can say that.  He made you think, work hard, play hard, and you had better have some core values.  I do not doubt that part of his legacy is those he helped shape.  Even ten years after his death I feel indebted to him.  I can say to him with truth and love, thanks for making a difference in my life.  That he truly did.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen