Well, Bob, I have to say something.
It was *I* who bought you Grendel.
It wasn't from malice, or because I wanted to rip you off (you never implied or stated either in any of your "sermons", but I still feel bad about it), but it was because I just didn't know any better at the time.
I was then (and still am in many ways, though not physically) young, and just wanted to help someone out. I think you realized that in everything you did, although I resented your wisdom at the time, and for many years afterwards, really thought you were "out to get me" or something, to the point that I hid in most Volkswagen oriented newsgroups, even though I felt that this is where my path lay.
Tens of thousands of aircooled miles behind me now, almost a decade in time, could you forgive me for this now? You have never said overtly or covertly any unkind word to (or about) me, but for some reason this eats at my soul, not sure why.
Now that I am almost 40 ( gasp), my father that you travelled with dead 6 years, I realize what a special time it was to have you with us. Instead of learning from your experience and knowledge, I and my brother knew it ALL (laugh), and rejected you. Damn youth, if I had only known then what I know now.
I am not even sure what I expect from you, absolution? forgiveness? or maybe I just want to expose the stupidity of my youth in a public forum to assuage these irrational(?) feelings of guilt?
I dunno, but I feel better having written this. Maybe that is what I was after. Timelines are subject to change, think I am WAY off.