Mats Barre

We have known each other since junior high. We laughed and cried together at Fristadsskolan in Eskilstuna and served together on the student council.
After compulsory school, our paths diverged—only to cross again at Skiftingehus, where Mats was a music teacher and mentor, and I later joined the teaching staff.
After Skiftingehus, Mats moved on to Hassela and an increasingly deep commitment to young people and social issues. Today, he is a senior and a commentator who remains curious about why things turn out the way they do—and he sings the songs of Mikael Wiehe.
The other day, he wrote to me:
"Johnny, you’re a naive old bowler. You know which pins affect which others, and which ones remain standing."
I recognize that side of him.
Mats has always known which pin hit which—and why some are still standing.