It's Written in the Stars, Maybe.

Nothing else makes you stop and take stock at things than a sudden death of someone you know quite well.  Two Sundays ago, a work-friend of mine suffered a heart attack as he was getting ready to get out of the waters of Monterey Bay after what his friend called a spectacular dive.  He scuba-dives on weekends -which was a pleasant surprise to me when I first learned it of him because he did not seem to fit the scuba-diving type.  I jokingly told him that I see him more line a  mowing the lawn on weekends -type.  Well, he did that too but only when he wasn't covering serious mileage on his bike or plunging into the freezing waters of the Pacific Ocean or handing out water at some local marathons for the disabled.  He was my confidante, my mentor, and my train buddy - he too commuted a couple of hundred of miles to work.  He was no spring chicken at close to 60 but still he used to tell me - ironically - enjoy life, it is too short to fret about un-important stuff.  The last time I saw him I told him that he looked like he lost some weight to which he answered - nah, just a new haircut.  He was his usual jovial self looking forward to the days ahead I am sure.  The following Monday, he was not at our regular morning meeting.  I heard that his friend found him flipped over in the waters as he tried to free himself from the sea-kelp but not before he talked about how great the dive was.  I guess, he kissed the ocean goodbye as he went out of the world doing what he loved to do best.  That Monday before I knew that he passed away, I passed by the train heading out of town and I thought of him being in it getting ahead of me as I sat stuck in traffic in my car.  Little did I know how true that was.  For two weeks now, I think of him, and what he used to say and how he lived and viewed life.  It's over-said and overwrought I know, but one can never really know what the next day brings.  But even though we know that, we still push through as if we do - unfortunately, we tend to obsess on what might be or we wished will be rather than living the present and actually "experiencing" what is now and happening.  I told another friend - why can't I just say:  today I am doing laundry or pulling weeds and that is how my life will be that day - own the laundry, the weeding - feel it all, enjoy it even, or hate it, anything, just feel it.  My friend was feeling life as he left it - my wish for me is that I do the same while still living it.