It's already been so many months since our reunion performance, where
once again we managed to do many impossible things together.

I returned from that, already snowed under with new work closing out
the year but at the same time full of energy and creativity for which
I have all of you to thank, and of course you in particular, Doc.

So just a couple of weeks ago I was doing a pitch here in DC for a new
international internet-policy project, and talking to potential
funders at Google, many of whom I have been working with already, and
one of the people in the room as I was warming up to my pitch (I want
to expand work in developing countries and in Europe) was asking me
about all my travels this year. "Well, I was in Cambodia twice, and in
the Philippines, and in November I was a participant at the Internet
Governance Forum in Brazil, and ..." "Yeah, but is it really true you
took vacation time off to go perform Shakespeare in Texas?"

"Yeah, that's true," I said. And then I talked to the Googlers about
this creative thing with Shakespeare in Texas I've been lucky enough
to be part of, in various ways, for so many years, And I explained
how important improvisation was, and figuring out how to work with
other people from different backgrounds, often on the fly, and how it
was important to learn from the text, and to be as prepared as one
possibly can even though there is too little time, and how bringing
joy and energy to these collaborations is something from Shakespeare
at Winedale that informs my professional work to this day. They loved
it. They were energized by what I was describing. And all this is
because of all of you, and what I've been able to learn, and continue
to learn, from all of you.

Many of you know I get buried in my day job sometimes, and so will go
for a while without responding to your individual or group messages,
but I wanted to take a moment at the end of this amazing year to thank
you all so much for your generosity, your energy, your fellowship,
your creativity, and especially for (as occasionally required) your
tolerance.

I hope you all have the happiest of celebrations this New Year's Eve
and New Year's Day, and that you have the lovely, wonderful,
fulfilling year that I believe each and every one of you deserve.

Love,

--Mike

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