Homeland security and memories of Dad

So I was filling out the 20pp. "resistance is futile" questionnaire the other day, for the latest wrinkle in the Homeland Security blanket. Among other things, I had to come up with 3 "people who know you well ... who together cover the last 7 years of your life. No relatives, spouses, etc." A daunting task for this hermit; but I did finally come up with three. So if some disturbingly normal-seeming person calls you up asking about me, ... you've been warned.

In looking up people's addresses etc, I stumbled across a Lycos listing for my father: full name, past addresses (Hines, MN, followed by Wheaton, IL -- omitting his 40-some years as a missionary overseas), and age: 71... even though he never made it to 66. Creepy.

The same afternoon, I found a photo of him and Mom, stuck in an old Java book on my shelf. I think this picture was taken the week Dad's cancer was confirmed (Christmas '96). He died about 4 1/2 years later -- two months before 9/11. I often wonder what he (as a lifelong student of the Arabic language and Christian ministry to Muslims) would've thought of this brave new world.

Now that we've totally changed the subject... In recent years I've sometimes thought we've moved on a little TOO well since Dad's death -- sure, life goes on, but ours would probably be richer if we paused once in a while to remember him. Because he preferred counseling and coaching to publishing, there's precious little evidence of him online. So, I wonder what the Wendell Evans blog would've been like. I should write a spoof post every year or something.