SKF NOTE: Yesterday I emptied the third shelf of a red corner hutch in our guest room. My eight year-old grandson, Grafton, needed more space for the LEGO models he is so adept at building. Shelves one and two held old favorite books of mine. I will find another place for them.

Shelf three was cluttered with CD’s, external hard drives, books, newspaper clippings, drum keys and whatnot. Carefully piling it all into a sturdy shopping bag, the last item I reached for was this 37-year old postcard from Neil Peart with his reaction to our April 1984 Modern Drummer interview.

Dear Scott – I just saw the article yesterday, and I think it’s really good. I thank you very much for having made me look so good! Nice work, I think your preamble and the way you presented the flow of our conversation was very incisive and very ‘right on.” Thank you / You owe me a letter! Neil.

Only much later did I read a Tweet announcing that day, January 7, was the second anniversary of Neil’s death.

Neil was a great guy. That he played drums and wrote insightful lyrics was, of course, part of who Neil was as a human being. But even setting the drumming, the lyrics aside – Neil was a curious, wonderful human being. I miss our correspondence and I miss him.

Cherish remaining friends.