Life - So Resilient. So Fragile.

Hi All!

There was an end-of-school gathering of 11th grade Roseville Juniors yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. Later many of the group went to Como Park, joining other friends and classmates to continue the festivities.

Just after midnight, some kids that were elsewhere started getting news on cell phones and AIM that a couple of classmates had a skirmish and paramedics needed to be called.

A realtively benign, almost typical argument which came to a blow. It was not about race, not about attempted murder, not about rivalry. Not even about intoxicants.

Just a scuffle between a couple of Junior classmates who were cut loose at noon on a nice, hot summer day.

A one-in-a-million punch.

This morning, many lives are forever changed. Very sobering.

When I was in High School I lost three friends. Two to freak accidents (I mean, how many guys get their windpipes crushed by a falling telephone pole?) and one totally out of the blue messy shotgun suicide. In two of the cases, I had hung around with the guys within 24 hours of their passings.

I will never forget, of course, but at that age, you come to terms pretty quickly and are never convinced of your own mortality. As I age and have lost friends due to plane and car crashes, suicides, illness, I am only too aware of how freaking fortunate and truly blessed I am and how much I need to squeeze every drop out of whatever time I have left.

Stay alive, if you can help it.

Love your kids. No one has ever had perfect parents, but try to be a teenager and remember how you interracted with your folks and try to fine-tune your approach to the relationship.

In your teenager's mind you are a moron. You reminisce too much. Times have changed. No, we WON'T thank you later.

Sure they will!

Do what you can and pray for the best.