Ten years
Ten years.
A decade. A life.
Alan Dundes was the first person – and the only mentor I’ve had – who saw me as a whole human being. In him, I had someone who accepted me as I was, who was interested in me as myself, not a construct in his mind. He made me feel that I mattered. He did this to many, many students. He was an incredibly generous person. He meant the world to me, and to very many others. You did not have to always agree with him to love him. We disagreed on many things.
I miss him, still, very much. I don’t think I will ever not miss him.