Fair Winds and Following Seas
A friend passed away last Saturday after a several month long fight with cancer. We weren’t close; actually I hardly knew him, yet to call him an “acquaintance” seems not enough. He was a really great guy. I’m afraid the fact that he had so many closer friends caused me not to seek him out these last few months. On the one hand I feel guilty about not visiting, but on the other hand I didn’t feel important enough to take any time away from his close friends and family. I would’ve felt that it was more about me, and I didn’t want that. Even writing this entry feels selfish.
Probably the first time I talked to him was several years ago and he was going on about the sailboat he had just bought. He was very excited. It seems he had wanted one for a long time, and was finally making his dream come true. The last time I talked to him was a couple months ago at Ginny’s Little Longhorn, home of the infamous Chicken Sh*t Bingo. It was right before he was diagnosed, or possibly right after, before anyone knew. He had just gotten back from a strange, random road trip with a buddy of his, and was delivering a t-shirt to Ginny from a place in Louisiana that claimed to have the original Chicken Drop Bingo. That’s a small example of what a fun-loving and generous guy he was. I don’t think I said anything more than “hi how ya doin” to him that night, so that’s not much of a story, but the guy I was talking with last night that had known him for 17+ years appreciated the recollection nonetheless.
I’m seeing first hand how his loss is affecting others close to him. It causes me to reflect on some opinions of mine that I don't always remember, like how life is short, maybe even shorter than one would expect, and it shouldn't be wasted. And that being generous and building strong relationships with people is important. These things shouldn’t be avoided, but it's easy to do just that.
Probably the first time I talked to him was several years ago and he was going on about the sailboat he had just bought. He was very excited. It seems he had wanted one for a long time, and was finally making his dream come true. The last time I talked to him was a couple months ago at Ginny’s Little Longhorn, home of the infamous Chicken Sh*t Bingo. It was right before he was diagnosed, or possibly right after, before anyone knew. He had just gotten back from a strange, random road trip with a buddy of his, and was delivering a t-shirt to Ginny from a place in Louisiana that claimed to have the original Chicken Drop Bingo. That’s a small example of what a fun-loving and generous guy he was. I don’t think I said anything more than “hi how ya doin” to him that night, so that’s not much of a story, but the guy I was talking with last night that had known him for 17+ years appreciated the recollection nonetheless.
I’m seeing first hand how his loss is affecting others close to him. It causes me to reflect on some opinions of mine that I don't always remember, like how life is short, maybe even shorter than one would expect, and it shouldn't be wasted. And that being generous and building strong relationships with people is important. These things shouldn’t be avoided, but it's easy to do just that.
posted by PlaysByEar at 5:13 PM
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