Death and the harsh reality

A guy I knew died yesterday in a car crash. I didn't know him well but he was one of those people my blood took to one time from the first time I met him. That was a year ago. Ever since then I'd see him pretty often at UWI and would always hail him out, go shit talk a five and whatnot. I hadn't seen him a while and then he was at a small but sectioned lime I went to night before and I didn't even make him out.. I feel pretty badly about that now, not because he's gone but because I didn't realize he was there. Even if he were alive today I'd feel the same way.

This post isn't about that though.. it's about death. Death seems all the more painful and tragic when it's around times like these.. Christmas time especially and specifically. But that's human perspective of course, but why wouldn't it be.. we're all at the very least.. human. Death doesn't stop for the holidays. It doesn't wait til the warmth has passed and we go back to the everyday grind. It's constant and ever-present. Always around.

Also, no matter how great of a person you are, if you're doing something dangerous and stupid, you're liable to face the obvious consequences. My partner was speeding. On a length of road that's particularly curvy. And his steering was giving trouble. He was a great guy, but his death was his own fault and that's a harsh reality. His best friend was also killed in the crash so he took his friend's life as well. Because of speeding.

so that's the bitter truth.. we all take for granted the fact that we are here one moment and can be gone the next. Out in the blink of an eye. We go about our existence so generally oblivious to what could happen and treat people as such as well. We hold grudges and hate. We keep secrets and hold off on setting things straight.. we assume there's going to be a tomorrow when in reality that's brazen and arrogant of us to do so. Hence the phrase 'tomorrow please God'.. tomorrow if it pleases God.. because only by God's grace is there a tomorrow and none of us knows God's will. This death, more than any other, perhaps because I saw him the night before, has solidified in me the importance of today and the here and now. Reality is harsh but you can operate within it and use it for your better good. Or perhaps just learn to cope with it.

So to my partner, I hope you are resting in peace; in a better place than I am in right now. You will be missed and your memory will live on. I hope your death will influence at least one person to live their life in a better way than yesterday.

to his friends, family and loved ones my deepest and most sincere condolences. I am incredibly sorry for your loss and my prayers and heart go out to each of you. He was great in life, he will be great in death.