as it turns out

 

 Yesterday, and not for the first time. I heard of the passing of an old friend. I use friend for lack of a better term, acquaintance sounds too cold and distant but friend isn't exactly it either. More than someone I knew, but not a close friend. Well, whatever term you wish to use I'm hoping you know what I mean. This person I knew in my childhood. He used to drive the school bus I rode. In fact a distant relative. I was fond of him and hold good memories of him. The thing is when I heard of his passing, and it happened many years ago now, I was surprised a bit. I shouldn't have been, at my age I have already said goodbye to far too many. Still, it gave me pause to think about all of that. I thought how we tend to think of people as living, until we hear of their death. That's true even when we knew those people our entire life and we are well along in ours! Some of those folks would have to be well over hundred years old! But, we speak of them, remember them, as though they are still alive, until they aren't. It'll be the same with me I suppose, no reason it should be any different. 

 Facebook, more specifically a group on Facebook, is a connection to another world. It's a world I left over forty years ago and all the people that lived there. I'm talking about my childhood days. Sure there were my contemporaries, my classmates, and all that but I also knew those that were friends of my parents, friends of my grandparents, and all those "old" people that circled around. It is interesting to reconnect, to talk to those that were there back in the day. I discovered, after some time, that things really hadn't changed all that much. Found that out in the first "group" I joined and one of the reasons I left that group and formed my own. But none of that is important really, just an amusement. For me, when it comes to those people and that time it is more like Paul Harvey telling me the rest of the story. Gossip is fun, but the truth is far more interesting. I do wonder what happened to all those folks. How did it all turn out. And "it" can be anything at all.

 As for me it all turned out okay. That's my estimation anyway. I retired from the Navy, something I take pride in. Yay, I did it. I don't require anyone to thank me or give me a parade or anything it is self satisfying. I have great children that all have families of their own. No drama going on in my world. I'd say just the average American family. Yeah, I'd say it has turned out alright so far. I'm not addicted to anything or in jail, LOL. I live reasonably comfortable. Sure there were a few pot holes along the way, a few bumps but not bad. Of course how it all turns out is not really up to me is it? No, whatever legacy we leave behind is subject to interpretation by those left behind. We don't really get to tell the story. And that was one of the reasons I first starting blogging. I want to record the story, write it down. Problem being it will go to the "editors" when I'm done. I'm aware that I am editing the story as I write it, and that is only natural, but mine are the good edits, it's the others that concern me. I'm just curious, I want to know how it all turns out.