Tribute to Frank Ballance - Henry Hamburger  

Henry, thanks for your piece on Frank Ballance.  I was stationed in Lushoto, Tanzania about 90 miles from Tanga where Frank taught.  I often stayed with Frank while visiting Tanga.  We both coached track teams at our respective schools.  I took a track team to Tanga and Frank and Quinn Buckner brought their team to Lushoto.  Frank had been accepted to Yale law school and encouraged me to apply to law school while still in Tanzania.  But for his friendship I would never have applied and my life would have been very different.  When scribe Schmidt "found" me two years ago I contacted Frank.  I wondered why he did not respond to my e- mail. It seemed so unlike him.  Now I know why. I wish I had the words to say something profound about Frank,s disease.  The best I can do is to thank you for taking the time to visit with Frank.  Maybe somehow he appreciates your effort.  I know I do. If you see him again just say kwaheri rafiki for me.    Jim Blair

                                           ------------------ 9 hours later ------------------

Henry, your tribute to Frank was eloquent.  When I saw the title I naturally assumed that Frank had died (as so many of our TEA compatriots have done).  I was relieved at first to read that he was still alive but I was then dismayed to learn that although he is breathing and his heart is beating he is not really "alive".  And yet, he is not suffering and he is not unhappy.  He is just unaware.  It is indeed sad that a man who was so alive and vibrant and who touched so many people's lives is now just a mere husk of what he once was.  When I compare Frank's condition to Stephen Hawking whose brilliance remains but whose body is gone, I believe that Dr. Hawking is more fortunate.  Most fortunate of all are those of us who were privileged enough to be in the TEA program fifty years past who still retain (nearly) all of our mental and physical faculties. Frank's disease brings two famous quotes to mind:

        There, but for the grace of God go I

     The Moving Finger writes and having writ
     Moves on; nor all your piety nor wit
     Shall lure It back to cancel half a line
     Nor all your tears wash out a word of It.

          -- The Rubiyat of Omar Kayyam

Cheers,  Jim Blair