Passage

Well, it will happen to us all, and yesterday it happened to TG’s father, who died suddenly. He’d been ill, and we’d actually advanced the wedding date to try and make sure he could be there and share the fun. Sadly, that didn’t work out. She got back to Chicago in time to be with him and her family when they decided to end life support, and she’s having a good, close time with her brother and mother. I’ll fly back over the weekend, and be there for the funeral.

He was the epitome of an average man; a retired postal worker – USPS for his entire career, active in his church and not much else as far as I can find out.

But I’ll say one thing writing in this blog has done for me is to strip away the notions that I once had which told me that wasn’t a good thing. Because I’ve come to realize that we are a nation of average men and women, who live and die to no great notice, and that fact is our greatness and power.

We don’t need Alcibiades. We had Willie and Joe. And TG’s dad.

13 thoughts on “Passage”

  1. My condolences for your loss. Can be tough, times like these. I’ve known many a man of no great distinction, that it has been my pride and pleasure to call friend or even be humbled by their goodness. It is the depth of character that defines a man.

  2. I haven’t thought about the song in years, but in reading your note, a song started playing in my head for reasons I don’t fully understand. I finaly id’d it a few minutes ago.

    -1-

    There’ll be one small light
    All over the world tonight.
    The search go on for the one,
    It was love with no name
    And we glowed in the sun.
    There was one small dream
    Incredible highs and lows,
    What little we knew living ordinary lives.
    Made a dream for you, living ordinary lives.

    (Spoken:) ordinary people living ordinary lives.
    Ordinary people living ordinary lives.

    We were be one small light
    All over the world tonight.
    The search go on for the one,
    It was love with no name
    And we glowed in the sun.
    There was one small dream
    Incredible highs and lows,
    What little we knew living ordinary lives.
    Made a dream for you, living ordinary lives.

    We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.
    We were ordinary people living ordinary lives.

    (Spoken:) the clock on the wall keeps moving,
    Time stands still,
    No matter how the dice may fall,
    Someone else always gets to call the number.

    Say goodbye cruel world
    No pity no pain tonight
    Whatever the cost all is lost
    If this is love with no name
    Then it’s all in the stars
    Whether it’s wrong or right
    There’s no one to blame no lies
    What else could we do
    Living ordinary lives
    Made a dream for you
    Living ordinary lives.

    -1-

    With sorrow in your loss.

  3. A.L.

    I don’t really know you; I’m just an occasional visitor to your site. But I certainly sympathize with anyone facing that kind of loss. My own father is not in the best of health. Condolences to you and TG, and I second Andrew’s comment.

  4. Condolances to TG and you. I have found this to be one of the wounds that time does not heal adequately. But now, live well so that others may think as much of you when you pass.

  5. “They were not rich and famous, but they were strong and good.” – Robert Lawson

    My condolences to TG and her family, as well as to yourself.

Leave a Reply to steve Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.