A friend is gone...

I'm gonna post this as my mind flows and thinks.

I have received news a few minutes ago. It concerns a friend of mine named Norman. I was told that he was found dead. He passed away (due to preliminary results) of Diabetes. I'll know more after the autopsy. Norm and I became friends several months ago. He was always a bit of an oddball. early 40's in age. Tall thin person. He always wore black. Black leather jacket, black boots, and pants and had a pair of red tinted sunglasses that he wore with great regularity. I figured that he was an aging Goth. He was found passed away in his bed by a security guard who had been investigating the fact that he hadn't stirred out of bed. despite his dark looks he always had a pretty good disposition. Ready with a joke or a smile. He and I had worked together many times. I'm sad to see him go.

Many thoughts are running through my mind right now and very few of them are of the cheerful kind. mostly about our own mortality. back in my 20's I thought that I'd never age. Age was something to never really think about. Now I'm almost 48. And now age and medical problems rear their heads. There are those who think that's not old and normally I'd agree with them but right now I'm feeling it. I alternate between feeling that and feeling numb. I think about what would happen when I pass on and many questions run through my mind right now.

I have very little in the way of items so who gets them when i pass one? I have nothing of real value monetarily but the vast majority of what I own is very precious to because of memorys. I have a number of very dear friends whom I've know for 20 years or so. I'm the oldest of my closest friends. But not even they know all there is to know about my past. i like to think that I've accumulated a little wisdom over the years. usually of the "Don't try that again." variety. So how does one pass that on? I've developed a plan. it's simple and without a doubt has been done before throughout the ages. I am going to write up several text files and print them out and place them in an envelope for my friends to read when I'm gone. Individual ones and then a letter to the whole bunch. I'll try to pass on what I've learned for them. That may be for the best. Items get broken or lost. knowledge is much more portable. Thus I shall do this.

Take care of yourselves. Take care of your family and friends. Try to pass on something no matter how little you may think it is to those who will follow.

I'll see you around.

I'm very sorry your friend has passed away.
Losing someone we care about makes us think
about our own life/death. In a way it's good to be
prepared, but sometimes it makes people stress
over it too much. I lost both my parents before I was 18, ----
both totally unexpected, so I have done everything
I can to pass along what I think is important to my kids.

I think we should all have something prepared for when that time comes.

Again, I'm sorry for your loss.

[edit on 2-9-2008 by virraszto]

Deson,

I'm very sorry to hear of the loss of your friend and I hope that you are finding peace today.

And I think that it is completely natural for us to use these hard times when we lose someone to sort of reflect on our lives and the legacy that we will one day leave.

I have no doubt that you have so positively touched so many lives D, you're a good friend to many. Find peace within yourself and my thoughts are with you.

Rush

Very wise insight. Good solid advice to those of us that have little to give but of our lives and the special momentos we keep as treasures. When someone has lots of material things it is one thing, but for you and I, it is of heart and of memories from a life lived.

Each age has its own beauty, remember you have been gifted with many years, so live each day as the portal to truth you were designed to live.

In other words if Hitler had not been born do you suppose someone else would have been there to take his place? I do. So what I am meaning to say is that you have been blessed with life, the higest form of our Universes energy flows through you.

Your friend sounds like he was a unique individual who lived life according to what made him feel right with his path. He is lucky to have a friend who cares about him after passing the way you do. Its easy to turn our heads and forget, you show compassion and caring in a world that lacks in it.

Your friend sounded pretty cool. Im sorry you didnt get more time with him. I hope you take comfort from family and your friends you have here in ATS and the ones still in this world. Im deeply sorry for your loss. Let me know if you need anything.