Today is the first day recently that I laughed my butt off. I went into town to get a paper and coffee. While I was in line, I started reading the story (BDN, Sept. 3) about the kidnapped gorilla. I haven’t laughed so hard and so long out loud for a long time.

Soon, people ahead of me in line asked if I was laughing about the kidnapped gorilla. I said yes, and kept on laughing.

I recently returned from Virginia. My father died June 5 and was just buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. I miss him very, very much and this story about the gorilla made me feel human again. Sept. 4 would have been my father’s 91st birthday.

Neal Sawick

Machias