Season of Death

                Hello once again and Welcome Back! Sorry I’ve been away, I truly don’t have much of an excuse except for work. And we all know how work can rear its ugly head in our lives at the most inopportune moment and force us to do things for money we would rather watch people on tv or dvd’s do. I’ve been so busy in fact that I was unable to promote the latest book one of my stories is in but I did manage to pimp it out on Facebook and Twitter, so I suppose I really didn’t need to make another announcement here since most of you are my good pals and friends on both of those social networking sites.

                Autumn is here once again, one of my favorite times of year and with crisp air filling my lungs every morning which sends waves of energy thru out my system, I can think of no other time of the year where I feel so comfortable outside. Well, maybe Winter. With all of the changes going on with nature, and in each of our individuals lives it is a wonder to me how anyone can keep track of what is going on in not just their lives but the lives of their family and friends. Of course, once again, with the advent of social networking we don’t have to worry too much about the ins and outs of others lives, we just pull out our smart-phones, laptops, and computer tablets we have access to information so quickly it is almost impossible to not know what is going on in the lives of people we know and love and some that we loathe and hate.

                Where is all this going? Well my dear reader I’ll tell you. Autumn, to me and most folks in the world is the signal for the earth to start to go into a time of rest, and the start of the restoration process through the death of what has been with us through spring and summer. This process has become extremely apparent to me these past few months but it has always been important to me.

                You see, while most of you were setting up Halloween decorations, making costumes for parties, purchasing a metric-fuck-ton of confections and watching the latest horror flicks in movie houses across the globe I wasn’t. And while you all were preparing for Thanksgiving feasts, or planning your journeys to friends and loved ones so you could reconnect after months or even years apart, I wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining I’m just stating simple fact. I wasn’t able to participate in the so called normal events of a normal life in these here united States. Why? Because in my world those two events get overshadowed by another event which demands my attention over four months of the year, and so I end up missing out on the pleasantries and niceties of two really cool holidays.

                This year is no different. I’ relish the moments I get to spend outside seeing Mother Nature spew her last dying gasps of glory before she slips into her white and gray slumber. This fact has made itself extremely apparent to me this season of dying.

                For you see, it has been a season of death for me and I have not really talked too much about it… to anyone. Now, if you are reading this blog and have read any of my past three blogs then you will know my personal life has suffered some pretty big hits recently in the form of my wife’s strokes. But what I haven’t spoken about are the four deaths of individuals who’ve I’ve known for the better part of my life.

                One man passed away from an extremely aggressive brain tumor which he wasn’t notified of until five months before his death. Now, this man was a vibrant and happy gentleman who’d never met a stranger and lived every day as if it were a gift. In the almost fifteen years I knew him, I saw him at least three times a month and only once did I see him upset. (The reason for him being upset is not for me to divulge. But I can say he was perfectly within his rights to be angry.) He also did what he loved for a living and refused to settle for mediocrity. His name was Chuck and he was a dear friend.

                Another man passed away and he was a steady fixture in my adopted city. He suffered the ups and downs of life like the rest of us but he seemed to takes the hits just a bit harder than most people would. His life was one giant roller coaster ride but unfortunately the last few years for him have been one long, unending trough which he just couldn’t seem to dig himself out of. I usually ran into him about once a week. He died alone. His name was Peter.

                The third was one of my groomsmen. He was always willing to help anyone who’d ask for help no matter what time of day or night or what the cost may be, whether that cost was monetary or time. He was there. He died surrounded by his family both blood related and the children of his neighborhood he took under his wing and tutelage. At his memorial, in a crowded church in Suffolk, the minister opened the floor and the microphone to the attendees, the flow of memories passed from one to another went on for over forty-five minutes. I abstained from sharing, simply because I don’t like to share my personal memories I cherish with others in large gatherings. This man’s name was Gary.

                Lastly, a family member passed away. My uncle, a man I have not seen for many years but I remember from my childhood. Those memories bring a smile to my face. He seemed larger than life and filled with laughter. His children, my cousins, whom I spent most of my time with, helped build some fond memories from my youth in the form of indoor water fights, cookouts and illegal fireworks. Although time and distance have placed us apart, I will never forget him for as long as I live. His name was Art.

                These four men and the memories I have of them burn through my mind like the vibrant colors of fall. I will cherish each memory I have of them and I am sure in my later years I will think fondly of them during the autumn.

                And so this is my Season of Death.