Memes and Mortality
This last weekend, one of my coworkers died. It came as a big shock, for a number of reasons.
My coworker was only 45, apparently in good health, and took pretty good care of himself health-wise. Nobody knows what he died of yet, only that his ex-wife (with whom he was on good terms) found him dead on the floor of his kitchen Saturday. I was informed on Sunday, and his memorial service was tonight (Wednesday). His parents, brother, sister, ex-wife, and nine year old son were all there, plus a sizable contingent of people from our company.
He was the guy who did all of the design work for the electronics at our company, and he worked very closely with my team (and me) on an ongoing basis. I made a point of stopping by his office about once a week or so to see how he was doing and chat a bit. I have a lot of respect for him, and he was a really nice guy to boot.
Me? I was in shock Sunday and Monday, and it still feels unreal. I'm also feeling really mortal at the moment.
With that in mind, I've chosen a couple of poems for the poem meme that's been going around. The first for this context, and the second because I really do like it in general.
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.
--Robert Herrick
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
My coworker was only 45, apparently in good health, and took pretty good care of himself health-wise. Nobody knows what he died of yet, only that his ex-wife (with whom he was on good terms) found him dead on the floor of his kitchen Saturday. I was informed on Sunday, and his memorial service was tonight (Wednesday). His parents, brother, sister, ex-wife, and nine year old son were all there, plus a sizable contingent of people from our company.
He was the guy who did all of the design work for the electronics at our company, and he worked very closely with my team (and me) on an ongoing basis. I made a point of stopping by his office about once a week or so to see how he was doing and chat a bit. I have a lot of respect for him, and he was a really nice guy to boot.
Me? I was in shock Sunday and Monday, and it still feels unreal. I'm also feeling really mortal at the moment.
With that in mind, I've chosen a couple of poems for the poem meme that's been going around. The first for this context, and the second because I really do like it in general.
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.
--Robert Herrick
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner