December 8, 2009
A few years ago I attended a labour and Internet conference at Harvard. The last day a guy stopped by me and asked when I was going home. I was going home to Norway late in the afternoon the next day. “Do you have any plans?”, he asked. “No, I’ll probably just look a little around as I haven’t been to Boston before”, I answered. “Ok, I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning with my car, and I will show you Boston and surroundings. I can drive you to the airport in the afternoon”, he said. And the next morning he turned up at my hotel. This was Tim.
Tim used the whole Sunday on a complete stranger, showing me Boston, the surroundings, telling me about the history and the social conditions, the GLS and about himself. We had long discussions on the challenges of the trade union movement and on politics. It was a great day for me.
Thankyou, Tim, for taking care of a stranger from Norway – for your warm heart, your kindness and your engagement. I was never able to return your warm-hearted kindness, but I will never forget you. I guess the best I can do in return now, is to keep on fighting for the trade union movement and for global solidarity. Rest in peace.
Your friend,
Espen Løken
Industri Energi (Norwegian union of oil, chemical and wood workers)