Sha
Posted on 14 August, 2023 by connrs
Bram Moolenaar created Vim. He also cared deeply about children in Uganda. So much so that vim users were reminded of this each and every time they opened vim. I hope that this never changes.
I started using vim back in 2008 at about the same time I gave up caffeine (for about 10 years). That first month was intense but 15 years later I am glad I stuck with vim but get to enjoy caffeine again.
Bram died last week. Too soon in my opinion. He was a cool dude and I think he was enjoying his retirement from a career at Google while still being the lead developer of vim. It's so sad. I feel so sad. He was a year younger than my mum.
My auntie, Sha, was 11 years younger than my mum but only 10 years older than me. Sha died in June after trying to win against a cancer that had a big headstart. We were all there, at the end, to hold her hand.
Where else would I want to be?
I am going to miss her. She was so cool. The age gap between mum, Sha and me was weird because I was able to just go over and chat to her about the kids while simultaneously she was my mum's best mate. I remember the time we watched Breakfast Club together. I also remember her taking me to the shop and having that jaw drop moment as we went to the shop one time and - her treat, on her 1980s wage - I asked for the most expensive chocolate bar possible when the budget for 2 kids and a teenager was 50p. The only silver in her purse. I remember trips to the Lake District in her boyfriend's metro while my grandma smoked on the back seat next to me as I held the barf in. I remember the birth of her kids (my cousins) and endless years of trips over to have a cuppa and a chat
It really sucks that she had to go so soon.
The last few years have been all round sucky. COVID took John Conway, my grandma passed last year, and now Sha and even Bram.
4 heroes to me in very unique ways. Heroes because of the lasting marks they've left on me. There are other people who have left their mark on me and they aren't getting any younger. Damn, damn, damn, damn that sucks.
Bye Bram. Bye Sha, I love you.