Some people or characters are so iconic, they leave their mark on generation after generation, even while they are still alive. Each decade they renew their place in our affection, until they become part of our personal psyche. We feel we know them. We begin to believe they will live forever.
So, when they venture beyond the veil, our loss is felt deeply. It’s like our favourite, estranged uncle, has passed – the one we will never actually meet. We’ve heard so many stories about them, we feel we know them, that they’ve always been there for us. We love them, despite their faults.
But, like all estranged uncles, you don’t realise how much you miss them until they are gone. A hole is left with their passing. Our existence is changed. We have to accept they’ve gone. And no one can live forever, right?
James Bond, Ramius, Ramírez – these are characters who have helped shaped my imagination and, in a way, my writing. I shall miss your warm Scottish brogue, and your passion for a free Scotland.
Vale Sir Sean Connery.