A Day of Lamentation—For a Departed Mentor

lam·en·ta·tion

/?lam?n?tāSH(?)n/

noun

1.   the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping. "scenes of lamentation"

Today—A Sublime Day—Blurred & Gray

Today I lament instead of rant. It’s a drizzly gray Central Florida Saturday and upon my eyelids opening, I immediately started crying. I tried to fall back asleep but emotive and visceral energy harpooned my psyche. I dashed to the office driving eyes blurred and quasi-irresponsibly. Cathartic ephemeral energy that must be unchained to paper. Impelled by the sudden death of someone I was starting to love. I lost a mentor, amigo (he used the word a lot) and collectively the world lost an eloquent and impassioned voice.

Irv Weinberg, my friend and mentor (October 15, 1943 – January 22, 2021), passed away unexpectedly last Friday to tears, wails, whimpers and howls of sorrow.

Irv lived a life of accomplishment and fulfillment. The New York advertising legend —at 77— was also a first time published novelist. We experienced entwined paths as I am also a first-time author. Irv was a selfless creative. An enchanting voice. A visualist and soliloquist. In the coming hours, days, weeks and years Irv will be smiling down on his future reviews and bestseller numbers. The sky and heaven are the limit to how far and fast Oohma will run. To my friends, you must experience the imagery invoking and immersive storytelling in that is the First Dog on Earth.

https://archon.cc/FirstDogBook

Reflection on my friend. Irv may have been a first-time novelist, but he was a lifelong rake and raconteur—in matters of love and writing. He exuded a poetic charisma and the self-admitted playboy incanted an enchanting whit and clever charm. Hilarious. And lightning-slice quick. He was tantamount (he would have loved that I used that word and the upcoming comparison) to an extremely prolific Hugh Heffner. I got some of the best love and dating advice. Ever! We connected immediately and he had me laughing in tears—incessantly. One of our cutest conversations was him admitting to me he was self-conscious about getting on video—because he was so good looking back in his playboy days. He showed me pics and he was Madmen dapper. After interacting he was definitely the most attractive. Why? Charisma trumps age, muscles, money and hair gel. He was the most dashing and attractive gentleman in every room I entered with him. Fortuitously our most-funny and bonded moment came on video. I crack up every time see it—now with duplicity in my tears.

1/22/21

After a text from a Wolf, I texted a Fly — mid cry — to let him know the three amigos are now dos. 

Authorship, Fellowship & A Lovely 1st Day (How it All Began)

10/19/20

I meet Irv Weinberg and Fly Navarro legendary fisherman for the first-time rounding off our triumvirate of 1st-timers. Novel authors. We had the pleasure of breaking amazing bread with even more amazing people. Walker’s Cay offshore legend Captain Billy Black and Fly ping-ponged phantasmagorical* fishing tales—everyone could be a movie script.

Billy is the captain of the iconic offshore fishing boat The Duchess. The two connected decades ago via Walker’s Cay—one the most beautifully abundant offshore fishing destinations in the world. Fly, a lifelong passion-driven roughneck angler has parlayed his grinded hours — turned earned expertise — into a passionate authorship anthology. Writing Best Catch 2020 (Released November 2020). Can’t wait to see Best Catch 2021!

Captain Billy was going to take us out on The Duchess, but the seas were stormy that day. Gloomy. Rainy (much like today minus the creative-melancholy). Plan B, we ended up filming at Medalist Country Club (a Jordanesque feeling in the Air and Tigers abound in the Woods). Special thanks to Irv’s son Mike for the impromptu setup—the Weinberg’s hospitality was akin to meeting long lost family. It was a beautiful scene and of greenery and a perfectly manicured backdrop for a lovely exchange.

We chatted for a few wonderful hours. Authorship, fishing, dogs, relationship building and life were clipped down to this hour below. One of the most lovely conversations in my life. The true beauty of day was the creative forging of relationships. And new found fellowship.

*Hey Irv, looking up ya amigo. How do you like that word intwined into context ???

A Benevolent Gesture & Fleeting Meeting (No Longer Two Packs But One)

Our last meeting was fleeting in so many ways. It was a recurring gray-tinted and sunless SE Florida morning. Like today minus the sadness. A day of travel and transition and windshield contemplation. Before, my departure that day and 94 days before his, I got to touch him one last time. And then he touched my heart and my daughter’s. He bestowed a uniquely enchanting gift—a First Dog on Earth signed manuscript. Fatherly duplicity.

The manuscript was stored in the safest place in my backpack. Waiting for Cady. I felt like a shitty father because my new minted 13 year old’s present was three weeks late. It was well worth the wait. The picture and text on Facebook messenger visualize the ephemeral and empathic gesture.

Reflecting on a Bond & Reciprocated Passion

“Learn to trust your own voice. I have heard you speak so I know. Just remember I have been honing a very specific skill for years. The tempo of a lyric. How to use a simple sentence to explain a complex thought. But it’s always the substance not the style. The way I can help you is to show you some ways to make you write with more confidence. And not over explain. I look forward to it brother.”

-Irv Weinberg to Dave Cobb (Facebook Messenger)

Our fleeting passion-based time forged an instantaneous and dynamic dynamic—mentor and mentee.

I had plans to visit him in Puerta Vallarta, sit in solitude, write and sponge-suck his knowledge. I was even going to do Ayahuasca with his Chaman. He told me “you gotta have good energy or he won’t do it. I think he’ll like you.” 

I selfishly lament that that future experience faded to ashes along with my friend—unforeseen evanescence in mentorship and conversations.

Even so, few hours spent and impermanence is not the determining factor in time-impact relevance. Irv’s selfless hours had an emblazoning impact on me. Through saddened reflection, tears and memories, of my time in Irv’s presence. I now realize how precious, special and fleeting bonded seconds can be. Transcendental, metaphysical and abstract time amongst creative minds and synapses—he was a genius. And I’ve never described someone in my circle as that.

Knowledge shared through passionate compassion. Unfathomable to the unpassionate and innate in those who adeptly create—Irv was the latter helping me climb the ladder to becoming a published author. With a melancholic heart I lament he will never see my book. And I lament I will never see his sequel. Only in smile-laden reflection, do I cherish the ephemerally finite memories and hours spent with my amigo from Puerto Vallarta.

Mortality Meditations & Circumscribed Scribe Time

“Awaken to the shortness of life. When we unconsciously disconnect ourselves from the awareness of death, we forge a particular relationship to time—one that is rather loose and distended. We come to imagine that we always have more time than is the reality.”

-Robert Greene (The Laws of Human Nature:

The Law of Death Denial)

I meditate on death daily and it’s not obsessive or morbid. Death meditations are tactical, actionable and create an eye-opening perspective. I’m not talking about contemplation of death scenarios (aka Final Destination plane explosion). I utilize my own demise as a marker and anticipated timestamp. A boundary. Creatives like Irv and now I, are attuned to our prolificity shelf life.

Mortality contemplation impels attentive time perception. Toxic, complacent, obsessive, banal and simpleton pursuits become indigestible—once one embraces the inevitability of near term mortality. Creatives understand limited undistracted time and cultivated and channeled vital energies. Irv grasped the concept and excelled till his last breath. He spoke with his publishing team just a few hours before he passed.

Every living organism operates within finite-energetic time and delimited emotional perseverance. Mollify self-doubt, negative compulsions and dissuader-haters—they are typically uncreative or non-creators. The dapper advertiser understood time is finite and needs to be quiet. We both locked ourselves in rooms and hammered out books. I strive to be Irv. A paragon of passion. A rockstar into his late 70s who never gave up on a colossal dream. He was in the midst of writing a sequel when he passed at 77—he was an animal, a fighter and ninja writer. Once again, genius. Irv’s creativity and passion fueled him — into the twilight of an illuminative life.

He is a luminary for creatives. A beacon for dreamers. It’s never too late and never too early. Time escapes quickly. Follow in Irv’s footsteps if you have a passionate inclination. Learn an instrument, paint, sculpt, grow something, mentor or advocate. To all existing and developing writers and scribes, thanks for imbibing my writing. Now let’s go do this. Write that novel, poem, short story, blog, or be like Irv Weinberg—write a 1st time bestseller.

In Loved Conclusion:

“I guess I just miss my friend.”

-Ellis “Red” Redding (The Shawshank Redemption)

Irv was an eclectic-charismatic-beauty that far too few of us got to touch. He embodies so many traits I want to instill—inward and outward. I take comfort and pride in the fact that he became a bestselling novel novelist in novel times of virulence. What an accomplishment that I’ll never touch—a different level of writing. Irv and I are both storytellers—word lovers. He actually liked my writing which is one of the biggest complements I’ve ever derived. Irv shimmered as wordsmith with a persistence and determination I vigorously admire. He became a first-time best selling novelist in his late 70s. I reflect on his talents with revered deference and I’m so sad we never played Scrabble.

Irv Weinberg was a dynamic-dynamic and talent. An iconic novelist that only saw the initial budding of a beautiful blossom. As his legacy starts to thrive—those of us who knew him will inevitably cry. Please don’t lament moving forward. Irv and Oohma will beautifully posthumously enrapture (en masse) a pack of rabid readers. I take solace that the former is resting prolifically and the latter will howl forever in literary eternity.

About David Cobb

David Cobb is a leader, learner and complex curiosity who loves to communicate and build relationships. And, he has the intention to make a profit and serve as an advocate for others to realize results.

 His foray into author-space through his book, Tactical LinkedIn Secrets, expands his reach to varied industry verticals. It is a guide for job seekers and career changers, as well as for the employer who needs that specific skill set to make their business sing. From the C-Suite to entrepreneurs to students, through Tactical LinkedIn Secrets, the digital quiver created is a crucial asset to expand strategic relationships, increase capital returns, and build credibility.

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