ON DEATH

We had a student pass away last night. The campus community is pretty somber today, and rightfully so. There's not a lot to be clever or witty about; and saying that death is a natural part of things seems trite. I mean, we all saw "The Lion King," right? (even if some of us saw it for the first time over the summer.)

I remember when my friend Bob passed away in December of 2000. It was a car accident, and I felt so guilty that I hadn't been a better friend to him when we both went off to our respective colleges. But that's how things work; people naturally drift to those they spend time with. His wake was a gut-wrenching time for all of us; I shed a lot of tears last night.

Bob's death put some things in perspective at work, as well. I had been at Walgreens for about five or six months, and our District Manager came in. I asked her how she was, and she said "Not good." I asked her why, and she said that sales were down. She then asked me how I was and I said "Not good." She asked me why and I told her I had just found out my friend had died in a car accident. So...I guess Bob helped teach her a lesson in perspective.

I guess this whole thing serves as a reminder that life is precious, and not to be wasted. Tell those you care about that you care about them, and enjoy your life.