[Jeff Higgins]

Wolfe, I know exactly how you feel. When the competition is honorable, and your competitor is a friend, it's hard to see them go. One of the reasons you try so hard is often the friendly rivalry that develops.

On a kind of related note, I used to be extremely active in long range (out to 1,000 yards) match shooting, using old black powder rifles. After about ten years of learning the game, I was actually pretty much unbeatable. Except for one guy, my buddy Martin. When the two of us were at a match anywhere in the Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia area, one of use was going to win. The other guys were all shooting for third place and down, and they all knew it. It was as intense a rivalry as you would ever want to see. We were good friends, and having a lot of fun pushing each other.

Then Martin quit. He lost interest and moved on to other pursuits. I was very, very bummed. My scores started to slip, as I was no longer out to beat Martin. Eventually I was down in the pack with the rest of them and, finally, pretty much stopped competing. Oh, I still go to the occasional match, but my heart just isn't in it anymore.

Anyway, the only reason I bring all of that up is to say "don't let this happen to you". I know the circumstances are different, but I do see parallels. And most important of all, keep in touch with the guy. I let Martin slip away; I have no idea how to find him anymore. That bums me out even more than losing him as a competitor.