I have to say I'm really shook up by this and I'll miss seeing him at work. He loved dogs and kids and got really angry when someone took the last of the coffee and didn't make a new pot -- really angry. One time he wrote a poem about it. I found this picture on his Facebook page. He loved fishing.
What makes me extra sad is apparently he died a number of days ago and no one found him until today. That is just wrong. In a perfect world no one would die alone.
So once again I am face-to-face with the fragility of life. I'm not going to pretend that this will change me in any way whatsoever because people always talk about how they are going to appreciate each day more and how all the little things that bother us aren't really important and other deep thoughts but eventually 99.9% of us eventually go back to our daily lives and nothing changes much. But I think it is good, if only for a day or two, that people are aware of our mortality and think about life.
It's better than worrying about what Black Friday gift we might have missed.
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Very well said Mary. I worked with Steve on a daily basis for the last 6 1/2 years and at time was a pain, but once you got through his rough personality, he was a great guy. I played many years of softball and bowled with him the past 4 years. He always made it fun and was alway joking around. Steve you will be missed.
ReplyDeleteJeff
Very nice post, Mary. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMary - this is very touching and quite true. I struggle so much with keeping my priorities in the right order;falling back into daily routines and thought patterns happens to me all the time. Thank you for writing about Steve -- you told me some things I didn't know. --Shelley
ReplyDeleteI first got to know Steve, when I was a member of the SLW softball team. He was our pitcher who could also “hit a ton”. After the other team would score a few runs due to my error in the field, when it was our turn to bat, he would crush a ball to the outfield, to get the runs back for us. Throughout the years, he always had a smile and a joke, especially when we talked about the Minnesota Twins in the break-room, while he made another fresh pot of coffee. He never mentioned any of his problems, kept them a secret. He really had a great and generous heart . .even though it betrayed him in the end. It is true what they say about the good.
ReplyDeleteIs it weird if my first reaction to Steve's death was to wonder where he is now, and how he's doing wherever he is? I'm not afraid of death; in some ways I actually welcome it. Life can be hard sometimes!
ReplyDeleteSteve was a good guy. He seemed lonely sometimes... If he was, I wish he hadn't had to be. I agree with you: no one should have to die alone.
He had a quirky sense of humor. I do remember the anger about the coffee pots. Maybe in heaven, the angels do a better job of making sure the pots are always filled, and the coffee is always delicious and fair trade.
It's a shock to wake up one morning and come to work and have someone be gone like that... It'll be weird not having him around any more. I hope wherever he is now, he can relax a little bit and be happy.