Death . . .

We, my wife and I, are of an age where our friends are dying.  It is trying to hear of someone you knew passing away.  It just does not fit in correctly.

Recently a local friend who had been dealing with a patch on his back via Veterans Administration treatment suddenly was entered into Hospice for cancer.  And then with in a week, he passed away.

That was shocking to me.  Last year in August we drove up to Denton to a model airplane swap meet.  While driving up there he was sedate but he was always a quite kinda of person.  We got there and we wandered all around the place looking at the wares for sale by owners.  Lots of junk, but the old adage about one man's junk is another man's treasure holds true at these events.  But a careful shopper makes good bargains.

I noted he did not buy anything but I did not think much about it.  I did not buy much either, I am pretty selective now days.  Not that I can not afford it, I just do not need it.  And I do not have space for it either.

We had our fun and returned back to Weatherford.  I dropped him off not thinking much about it.  It literally was he last time I saw him.  I shall miss him.

He had tried to retire once but his wife was going to school for an advanced degree, so he had to go back to work.  He worked at the local Ford dealership, driving people home, picking them up and running the housekeeping operations of cutting the grass and cleaning up the buildings.  He liked his work but fretted about getting his team to do the work.  Often, the team had team members that were assigned to him by the owner/manager who had hired them as a favor for someone.  And they often really did not do very good work.  But he was stuck with them and could not let them go without clearance from the big boss.

Now he is beyond that point.  No more of those kinds of worries.  And we worry about his wife as she too has medical problems too.  I am sure I will next see his house up for sale and she will move on a care facility of some sort.

It is the fate of age, it always catches up with us.  We are just growing old.  I mourn for him in a detached way as I know my time will also come to pass.