Every once in a while we meet someone in our line of work who it is a pleasure to know.
As a client then as a news source Michael Devine was such a person.
We would go so far to call him a friend we only knew him for a few years but we enjoyed his company.
He had a joy of life twinkle in his eyes and no matter how tough things got he never lost it.
We always knew where we stood with Michael. His family was first and far above any other priority. We understood.
Like a relief pitcher called in to protect a one run lead with the bases loaded Michael was booed as the goat when everything collapsed. But it really wasn’t fair.
He did his best and we doubt anyone could have done better given the circumstances.
While are contacts grew far less frequent after he left Wendover, they did not fade altogether.
We enjoyed our infrequent phone calls and although we had no business together we did share news of our children.
He was the only man we knew who could match us in talking about his children.
And that is not a shabby epitaph.
Not at all.
In addition to running our regular printing of the Declaration of Independence, we published the British response to it, in the interest of fairness.
When we were school children we thought the British a bit stupid for going to war they were bound to lose.
Could not they read history?
Okay we were kind of slow.
History never seems like history when it is happening. The end is never known nor is it knowable.
To make up for that deficiency our founding fathers had courage.
Without courage, nothing is possible.