Jul 08 2009
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More Details On John Keel’s Last Days
Loren Coleman has written a touching and sad portrait of John Keel’s last few lonely months. The only positive thing is that Keel seemed not to want anyone around him. I found that in our occasional phone conversations that he could be very interested or conversely give the impression that he really didn’t want to talk at any length, and I respected his wishes.
Wherever he is, I hope that he’s finally gotten the answers he looked for all of his life, and is laughing his ass off.
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July 9th, 2009 at 3:14 am
I don’t know if that is such a positive thing, you know? And this is coming from a person who could be catalogued not so much as a “loner”, but as a “hermit” — cloistered monks have a more active social life than me.
Let’s be honest: even though there are people who enjoy their privacy, and can’t stand the dullness displayed by most persons, only worried about shallow things, the fact is that we all need help from time to time; and not being able to admit that or to ask for it is a huge mistake.
I suspect that, apart from Mr. Keel’s well-known excentricities, his Diabetes could have started to take a toll on his personality—even the minds of geniuses are frail enough to be subject to illness— and this is something I’ve witnessed in my personal life.
But, as I wrote in my comment @ Cryptomundo, even though an interest in Forteana carries the implicit tax of becoming an outsider (whether you like it or not), do we really want to fit in? Do we want to talk about American idol and TV commercials, when Mothman and ultraterrestrials are so much more interesting?
I think we should plan on creating a retirement center for Fortean researchers & students, where people like us after they reach the age of retirement can be among like-minded individuals; where there will be a library filled with books written by Vallee and Keel, and every Wednesday and Friday night there could show old Sci Fi movies on TV. If there are special homes for war veterans, why not for the veterans of this prolonged battle against the veil of mystery that surrounds mankind? I think it’s only fair.
…Man, I actually think that’s one of the best ideas I’ve had in a long time
July 9th, 2009 at 10:31 am
OK, count me in on the fortean retirement home. On second thought…maybe not.
John’s diabetes and other problems led him to be even more recluse than he was, and that was extreme to start with. In truth, there is very little reinforcement out there available for alternative theorists and many eventually get the feeling they are all alone. And it’s true that this field –and writers–become isolated. John never received much for any of his ideas except for scorn from the main personalities, but he brought a lot of that on himself…and that was his style. He was basically uncomfortable around others and had a low tolerance for some things. But he was still essentially a good man who knew that his ideas had influenced a lot of others. His ideas were groung-breaking, complex, and immensely deep. They were too “dark” at times for many people. The truth is that truth sometimes is dark. But mainstream ufology, which has and remains dominated by ET believers was unmoved by Keel. Some of that was his style, and he knew it.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:24 am
…Of course, we could always had a few bungalows for the more isolationists of us all.
Besides… would you really want to have Richard Hoagland as your roommate??
July 10th, 2009 at 4:06 am
You could always have 3 man bungalows.
Hoagland, Richard Doty, and the
fiendish Major Ed Dames could be
room/cell mates with 24/7 TV showings
of The Invaders interspersed with
episodes of Mr. Ed and Old Navy
commercials. Every time “Wilber” is
heard would precipitate another
round of prune juice quaffing.
Holidays and birthdays would be
special occasions with marathon
showings of “I Dream Of Jeannie”.
LOL.