searching for sam

oh, wherefore art thou, sam shalabi?

i was on a plane the other day flying from london back home to vancouver when i couldn't stop thinking about my old friend sam shalabi. i wondered how he was, where he was, and what kind of trouble he had gotten himself into now. i always regretted not getting a chance to say goodbye to sam. the last time i saw him was probably at the bar, then, in st. johns. i asked him if he was heading back home to montreal the next day, and he said he didn't know. maybe he'd stick around. i never saw sam again. he's such a freakin' nomad.

i miss the shalobster. shalobinator. missed his stories about growing up in prince edward island and tending chickens and milking cows. his obsession with anne of green of gables, a desire which permeated his childhood and haunts him still. his tales of his adventures sailing makeshift rafts down the rivers and creeks nearby to his home. i missed his songs about whales and horses. i also miss the way he could effect a room. the shalabi effect. with his clever banter and witty comebacks. his bang-on immitations of tom cruise, as well as other celebrities. sam is a total riot. you can't keep that guy down.

i really hope i'll see him again soon.

sending some tlc out to you sam, wherever you may be.