Don't Forget Old Friends

DustyRusty

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Yesterday, a thought came to mind that I hadn't heard from an old high school friend in a while. I think that the last time we talked was just after Covid. I Googled his name and learned that he had died a few months ago. This got me thinking; I also haven't heard from another old friend who I met through the internet. We used to exchange emails and jokes from time to time. I sent an email to him and never got a response. I started to search Google again, and even though I can't confirm it, I believe that he also has passed away.
I know how easy it is to get caught up in a busy life, but those friends that have moved away and you don't see any longer shouldn't be forgotten. Give them a call and get caught up, who knows how much living we have left? I go to too many funerals now, and some of the older folks don't have many people attend their funeral because either they outlived all their friends or their friends don't know that they have died. Give them a call before they die.
If you are active on a forum, leave instructions to let the forum members know of your passing. A life lived shouldn't be forgotten when you die.
 
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bearbait

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Yesterday, a thought came to mind that I hadn't heard from an old high school friend in a while. I think that the last time we talked was just after Covid. I Googled his name and learned that he had died a few months ago. This got me thinking; I also haven't heard from another old friend who I met through the internet. We used to exchange emails and jokes from time to time. I sent an email to him and never got a response. I started to search Google again, and even though I can't confirm it, I believe that he also has passed away.
I know how easy it is to get caught up in a busy life, but those friends that have moved away and you don't see any longer shouldn't be forgotten. Give them a call and get caught up, who knows how much living we have left? I go to too many funerals now, and some of the older folks don't have many people attend their funeral because either they outlived all their friends or their friends don't know that they have died. Give them a call before they die.
If you are active on a forum, leave instructions to let the forum members know of your passing. A life lived shouldn't be forgotten when you die.
Great advice Dusty, and sorry for your loss. At 68 years old I try not to think about it however today I had to go to the Pharmacy and realized that next time maybe I should bring a cart with me. ;)
 
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RCW

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@DustyRusty -- very true.

Over my 37-year career, I always had Coffee every morning before work with "the boys".

COVID interrupted that, and it didn't resume afterward.

That group of "boys" was probably 20-25 different guys over the years. Some of us were 30+ year friends.

There's 3 of us left.......:( While we don't meet for coffee, we do keep in touch regularly.

I retired a few months ago. I miss coffee with ALL those "boys" greatly......:(
 
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Lil Foot

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While working, we had a weekly event called "Top Shelf Tuesday". (lunch at a local mexican restaurant)
Been doing it 30 + years.
Just got back 30 mins ago from "Top Shelf Tuesday" with the guys- 2 still working, 4 retired, plus 2 wives.
Now we only do it once a month, but it is nice to catch up with the guys. (y)
Last month we had 11, some months only 3 or 4.
 
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mcfarmall

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Somehow it seems that I'm the one who has to initiate any correspondence or meet-ups. Maybe I'm just a lousy friend and nobody wants to get together, but the phone lines run both ways. My wife is my very best friend and at the end of the day, that's all that matters.
 
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TerryKing

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Thanks, Guys, for the thoughts and making Me think..

When my Dad was about 90, he said "The worst thing about getting this old is, you watch all your old friends die." He lived on to 101. Hopefully that's hereditary. I'm 85 and I will be checking up on some friends soon.

Teaching stuff to young(er) people has always made me feel I'm doing something that matters. And they make me laugh, even when they're laughing at Me. Next week I'm going back from Vermont to the Middle East to work with and teach some Tekkie stuff to refugees for 2 months. A good friend there was on his own from age ten in refugee camps in Sudan and Kenya and now has an Engineering degree from Egypt.

It took years before I realized how much some people had gone out of their way for me when I was a kid! I'll never expect kids to realize it now, either. I still have a lot to try to Pay Back. Ahhh.. I wrote something about this a while back. Old Guy Story Warning!!
 
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D2Cat

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In today's society it if difficult to contact folks because there is not phone book to look up their number. If you didn't have it at one time and save it, never to delete it, you can't get in contact with folk.

Terry, I appreciate your writings. Very interesting!
 
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Lil Foot

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Thanks, Guys, for the thoughts and making Me think..

When my Dad was about 90, he said "The worst thing about getting this old is, you watch all your old friends die." He lived on to 101. Hopefully that's hereditary. I'm 85 and I will be checking up on some friends soon.

Teaching stuff to young(er) people has always made me feel I'm doing something that matters. And they make me laugh, even when they're laughing at Me. Next week I'm going back from Vermont to the Middle East to work with and teach some Tekkie stuff to refugees for 2 months. A good friend there was on his own from age ten in refugee camps in Sudan and Kenya and now has an Engineering degree from Egypt.

It took years before I realized how much some people had gone out of their way for me when I was a kid! I'll never expect kids to realize it now, either. I still have a lot to try to Pay Back. Ahhh.. I wrote something about this a while back. Old Guy Story Warning!!
Wow, your avatar shows you look pretty good for 85! ;)
 

DustyRusty

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In today's society it if difficult to contact folks because there is not phone book to look up their number. If you didn't have it at one time and save it, never to delete it, you can't get in contact with folk.

Terry, I appreciate your writings. Very interesting!
You can often Google the name and city/state and find a telephone number. If you add the word "obituary" to the end, you will find out if they have passed away or if they are mentioned in an obituary as a survivor of the deceased. It just takes a little effort. I have found many old friends that way.
 

skeets

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Yes class mates, about half mine are gone. Guys I served with, every once in a while I get a snippet about some one I served with, heart attack, or cancer, died alone in his home. Tomorrow is not a given, so just for shyts and giggles call an old friend, they may not be around next time you think about them.
 

TerryKing

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Yeah
Lil Foot
.. guess time for an update / downgrade :) ;) I liked that old one because it was in front of the Lime tree in the back yard of 4 Rue D' Jasmine in Carthage.. (Tunisia, North Africa). Wished I had that tree everywhere else I've lived. Had to buy smuggled Gin. I was there 3 years. About 1/2 mile from the Presidential Palace. Just missed the gunfire as Zine Abidine Ben Ali's helicopter took off never to return.
Ahh.. OldGuyStories strike again.
 
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