Old Friends

[RussTJ]

Lost a good friend recently so I’ve been thinking of him quite a bit. Rick and I met back in 1990 and we worked together for about fifteen years. We stayed in touch after that and got together once in a while. He was an easy-going guy and we were at similar times in our lives, raising our families. Back then, we were trying to find that balance between working as much overtime as we could to support our families and spending time with them. We worked on the road as alarm technicians and we’d get together when our paths crossed. The son of a baker, he loved bakeries and we’d always stop for a bite when one was close by. He knew where they all were up and down the east coast of Massachusetts.

The last time we got together was just before last Christmas. We met at a pub and had a pizza, a few beers and caught up. It was a simple evening and we had a great time. We had a young waitress working on that quiet weeknight. As the evening wore on we got ready to settle the modest bill which was about $30 including a tip. We argued about who would pay with each of us wanting to treat their friend. We decided that we’d give the young waitress the $60 for the low $20’s check. The waitress picked up the tab as we finished our beers and a few minutes later she was back stating that we must have made a mistake. Rick just smiled and told her, “Merry Christmas”. She was so happy but I think we got the real gift from the encounter. I still remember Rick smiling as we left that evening and I think that's how I'll always remember him.

Get in touch with your family and friends and say hello. Call, text, stop by or write a letter. It’s simple to do and you won’t regret it. I'd also like to hear about some of those people that are important parts of your life. Take care.

 

[Squatch]

I'm sorry for your loss, my friend. That was beautifully written, and it's obvious that he touched your life in a meaningful way. Sometimes the simplest of things, such as your before-Christmas meal, are some of the best memories. And remember that if the tables were turned, your friend Rick could easily look back on his friendship with you with the same fond regard. In fact, I'm sure he is.

Thank you for sharing this.

 

[Equilibrium31]

Damn, very sad to hear of your loss. Rick sounds like a good guy and I'm glad that you two were able to have such a good friendship.

And that's good advice. I tend to be pretty bad at keeping up with a lot of old friends. Often it's for good reason (half the reason I moved away from the city I was born in was to get away from a lot of people), but I still should be better at calling and talking to the good people I know who live far away.

This weekend I actually stopped back in San Antonio, Tx to see my good friend, who's pretty much a brother to me, get married. While the plane ticket wasn't cheap and didn't come at a time when I had much spare cash to spend, it was well worth the travel. Getting the chance to see him, his family, and his boy that's now 10 years old was so good. I also ended up getting to see several other friends that I had lost touch with, which was really nice.

Life is short and can change in an instant. Thanks for the reminder as there's still plenty of other people I need to make sure that I keep close with.

 

[John Wolf]

Sorry for your loss RussTJ. Nice heartfelt testimony to a good friendship. I can tell you after losing my sister, mother and grandmother in the span of about a year, life is short and getting shorter every day. I wish I'd had the perspective as a young man that I have now. You give great advice, love on your friends and family while they are still here, and while you are too!!

 

[Mike_H]

Sorry for your loss. Tough losing those we love. Thanks for the reminder too. That thought has been on my mind a lot lately. My best friend through high school lives in Austin, TX and I still live near where we grew up. I only see him a couple times a year (when he comes home for Christmas). I don't talk to him enough...in fact, I can't remember the last time. Gonna have to get him on the phone. Others too...I get involved in work and other stuff going on and forget to make the time for the other people in my lift.

Seems appropriate to include the story about the Jar, Rocks and Sand. Legend goes that a philosophy professor brought a large mayonnaise jar, some rocks, some pebbles, sand and a cup of coffee to class one day. He proceeded to Fill the Jar with the rocks. The class thought the jar was full. He then added the pebbles, gave the jar a shake, and dumped more pebbles in. The class again agreed, the jar was full. Now, the professor added the sand...Shaking it into the small openings left. Finally, the class thought the jar MUST be full. Not quite...the professor then dumped his whole cup of coffee into the jar, where it was absorbed by the sand.

What's the moral? If you start with sand (small stuff) you'll never get the big stuff (rocks) done. So, prioritize the big stuff, get as much medium stuff done as you can, and finally, fit the small stuff in where it fits. The last part is that there is ALWAYS room for coffee with a friend!

 

[Squatch]

Sorry for your loss. Tough losing those we love. Thanks for the reminder too. That thought has been on my mind a lot lately. My best friend through high school lives in Austin, TX and I still live near where we grew up. I only see him a couple times a year (when he comes home for Christmas). I don't talk to him enough...in fact, I can't remember the last time. Gonna have to get him on the phone. Others too...I get involved in work and other stuff going on and forget to make the time for the other people in my lift.

Seems appropriate to include the story about the Jar, Rocks and Sand. Legend goes that a philosophy professor brought a large mayonnaise jar, some rocks, some pebbles, sand and a cup of coffee to class one day. He proceeded to Fill the Jar with the rocks. The class thought the jar was full. He then added the pebbles, gave the jar a shake, and dumped more pebbles in. The class again agreed, the jar was full. Now, the professor added the sand...Shaking it into the small openings left. Finally, the class thought the jar MUST be full. Not quite...the professor then dumped his whole cup of coffee into the jar, where it was absorbed by the sand.

What's the moral? If you start with sand (small stuff) you'll never get the big stuff (rocks) done. So, prioritize the big stuff, get as much medium stuff done as you can, and finally, fit the small stuff in where it fits. The last part is that there is ALWAYS room for coffee with a friend!

I had a teacher share that same story with me when I was in high school. It has even more meaning in my advanced years than it did before...