There will never be another Mac Tonnies. Never. His was the class act that can't be followed. Though he had what some lesser minds viewed as outlandish, even preposterous ideas, one sensed that these ideas came from an effortlessly concise, essentially logical, and ultimately sane mind, so that even if one wasn't entirely convinced as to their validity, it was utterly impossible to completely dismiss them.
The world needed a mind like Mac's. Desperately.
Which is how I happened to find Mac. I had come across an interview with him on an online article (2005) in which he was arguing the case for past life on Mars. Being somewhat of a Martian freak myself, I was really impressed by the way he managed to discuss what was (and is) a "fringe" topic in such eloquent, perfectly respectable terms. I remember thinking that I wished everyone in the paranormal field was like Mac Tonnies.
I didn't begin communicating with him in earnest till January, 2006, when I won what was actually a masthead design contest he held on his blog. From that point on we held a steady communication, sharing ideas, artwork, prose, poetry, links, etc. He became my cyberspace touchstone during a rather sad patch in my life, displaying a sensitivity, a sense of humor, and an openness i have never found in any man before nor to this day.
Mac Tonnies was a brave man. Far more than he was aware of, because his was a type of bravery not of the garden "macho-man" variety (of which modern society generally applauds); nor was it one, for that matter, society even recognizes. He was a man brave enough to be true to himself and his ideals... brave enough to think way outside of the proverbial box. Brave enough to wrestle with his personal demons, and to do so alone - "out here on the perimeter (where) there are no stars" - so, that he might uncover that truth. And lastly, brave enough to put that truth on the line in no uncertain terms.
And, now, like the heroes of old, he has wandered off into the "otherworld".
I just wish he'd come back someday and tell us what he found.
For other memorials and links go to:
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