time it was and what a time it was it was
I just returned from a funeral for a friend I had purposely not seen in many years.
At the funeral (as at the wake on Wednesday) there were very many other friends, whom I had also not seen in many years, mostly on purpose.
Many of them looked at me as if I didn’t belong there.
Maybe I didn’t.
The ones I chatted with were the ones with whom I shared some rather negative feelings all those years ago—ranging from mild animosity to outright enmity—and the ones who glared at me were the ones I was closest to, the ones I hurt and the ones who hurt me, but also the ones I loved deeply.
It was good that we were all together, again, and in many ways it was as if nothing much had changed, though, of course, many of the roles had reversed, and now there are children and spouses in the mix.
All in all, it was quite surreal.
I would like to share a funny story about my old friend, but the sad truth is that I don’t really have many specific memories at all, and the ones I do have are too long (or too private) to share here.
I remember him always making some effort to include me in things, even if nobody really wanted me around. And the handful of times I saw him over the intervening years, he was always genuinely and thoroughly pleased to see me, quick to point out and laugh at my flaws and failures, and quick to get me laughing with him. He will be missed.
Rest in peace, MCS. The world is a far poorer place without you in it.
D7000. Nikon 75-150mm f/3.5 Zomb-E Series. ISO400, 1/15th (AP mode), f/3.5, -1EV. About 12 minutes of slider play in Aperture.
