VPL: why so cold, my love?

It's only been a day, and I already feel your absence, your distance. Your accepting arms, your generosity, your wisdom, your humor, your passion... I am bereft of all of them.

I'll admit that I have spent time with others: the glitz of cable TV, the well-worn charms of used bookstores, the newer offerings of Chapters, and of course, the slightly schizophrenic appeal of the Internet. But they can be fickle. Cable and phone can be cut off, Internet connections can fail, and Chapters will throw you out for trying to read the entire run of Naruto in one day. But not you.

I knew you long before I knew them, and I will never forgot our special times together. Though I may have strayed, "You were always on my mind," to quote the Pet Shop Boys. I'm sorry? Oh right, Elvis Presley did that first. I always loved your attention to detail, as much as your impartiality.

I know you have some stuff to deal with, that you can't do what you were made to do all the time. I can't say I'm happy about it, but I blame the situation. I hope that you can face your current challenge, resolve it and carry on. I'll swallow my desires and await the day when we can be together again, when I can be at home in a way I don't feel anywhere else. Maybe this is necessary, to make me appreciate you more.

You were always there, always welcoming to those of all races, creed and colors. In a world where everything seems to be measured in dollars and seconds, you still measure the world in ideas, in what people need instead of what they can afford. That's a precious thing that must be fought for.