Foreclosure

“Death, the most dreaded of evils, is therefore of no concern to us; for while we exist death is not present, and when death is present we no longer exist.
Epicurus, 3rd century B.C.


“Though Mr. Hofman called LSD ‘medicine for the soul,’ by 2006 his hallucinogenic days were long behind him, he said in an interview that year. ‘I know LSD; I don’t need to take it anymore,’ he said, adding, maybe when I die, like Aldous Huxley.’ But he said LSD had not affected his understanding of death. In death, he said, ‘I go back to where I came from, to where I was before I was born, that’s all.’” Craig S. Smith, 4/30/08 NYT

I received word the other day that Al Schneider had died. We used to run hard. When I was young, the idea that easy action and wild living might someday catch up to us never occurred to me. Reckless abandon hell bent for leather run amok was the order, or should I say chaos, of the day. I remember Al cruising the halls of Marquette high wearing penny loafers, yellow socks, floodwater cords, a yellow button down dress shirt, and a madras belt. Post-grease and pre-head, it was a time when the Byrds were supplanting the Beach Boys, and we heard it first in the halls of MHS (actually, I only went there for one semester). I guess it makes sense that the heaviest drinkers morphed into the worst drug addicts. R.I.P.F.R.

I guess I conjured up some weird, hippy actuarial table that figured the ones who dropped around me, Poss, Dickie, Colleen and others, somehow improved my statistical chances, always seeing myself as the grim reaper’s late harvest.

My other friend, Bill Behnke, is fading fast. The Behnke family was the subject of an editorial I wrote concerning Bill’s cancer and the subsequent foreclosure on their house and property. It’s a story that, like many others, is simply too sad to tell. My friend, D.C., thought it was shameful that the troubles the Behnkes encountered happened in this country. After M. got home from the doctor yesterday, an eviction notice was on their door. They have 45 days to get out.

It’s Friday night, and I’m off to play happy hour with FUBAR at the Heidelberg’s Club Above. Kimmy French is on bass tonight. It’s gonna be packed and rockin, and I’m rarin to go.

Al and Bill have gone back where they came from.

Blessings - Randy