I MISSED ANOTHER FUNERAL

I MISSED ANOTHER FUNERAL

I missed another funeral the other day.  I am not very good about funerals.  I know they are important; I just am not very good about them.  I blame my mom; she was not one for taking children to funerals.  I never even went to any of my grandparents or aunts or uncles funerals. 

In lieu of attending, I am submitting this post.

I lost a friend several weeks ago.  He was a friend who I barely knew, but he was a friend…a good friend.  I mostly knew him through fraternity/ fishing buddy, Frog.  He was a friend of Frogs for years and I knew him through Frog’s many stories of his friend, Al Guy.

A few of you may recognize the name from my “Fishing with Frog” posts.  Al was our cabin on a lake benefactor.  He often joined our group and fished with us.  It seemed we never knew if and when he would join us, and if we were told it would not have mattered, Al had his own version of time. 

L to R Catfish, Al, Buddy, Frog

Al was a free spirit.  He was an avid outdoorsman who treated the outdoors like the precious resource that it is.  Al was a talented artist.  He had an artist’s eye.  He saw things others did not see.  He felt things that others felt but could only be expressed through art.  The best description I can give of Al is he was a true gentle soul.  He was a little different in that artist way, but when you were in his presence there was always a calm happy aura about the room.

I speak of Al like I knew him well.  Truth is I only met him three or four times.  We only shared a meal a few times.  We fished together and talked about life maybe twice.  We were very different people, but we had several things in common, and I did feel a certain bond.

Al was a young man.  He appeared to be in excellent health.  He cared so much for nature and people.  I believe his heart gave out.  I think it was just not big enough for everything he put in it.

Sorry I didn't make it to your funeral Al.  I wished I had a chance to know you better.

You are missed.