Paul Martia

Watching my husband interact with Paul Martia clearly explains why they celebrate their Birthday on the same day. They love the same things - arts, traveling, the outdoors and everything rough and raw. That is unless it happens to be smooth and refined - that's good too, but please don't present them with anything in the middle.

They seemed happiest when Paul came for a Christmas visit, spent the day shoveling snow and the evening reciting poetry or dicussing modern architecture.

If there is a person who represents the juxtaposition of high-tech needing high-touch, it's Paul. When he's back in the Chicago area, he has all the computer equipment at his fingertips, but we regularly receive letters he writes on old classic type writer or cards written by hand. What a lovely change in this world of instant messaging!

Paul is a musician, a metal smith, a furniture builder and restorer, and a poet. I might have forgotten something. I really like Paul's poetry, because it's jammed with images - people, his travels, nature. It dazzles. Whenever I think of Paul, before I can recall his face, I first remember that dazzling energy and love. I hope he comes back soon, I think we need another dosage.