Life And Life Only

[poliphilo]

He was my best friend at school.  We weren't soulmates or anything like that but we propped one another up. Neither of us was a misfit exactly but neither were we mainstream. We didn't stay in touch. He went into the Navy and I went into the Church. 

I caught a glimpse of him yesterday through his Facebook page. He lives in West Sussex- in a village I've visited not knowing he was there- has grown-up daughters and a second wife. He stuck with his chosen career- as I didn't-  and advanced halfway up the chain of command. He was in the Falklands War, served on the Royal Yacht Britannia and is now the director of a naval charity. It sounds like an interesting life.

I remember the last conversation we ever had. He was at Dartmouth Naval College and partying with Admirals' daughters and I was about to go  to university- and we were sitting in my parents living room looking ahead to the long, long stretch of our future careers- and now those careers are over and we're closing in on seventy - and it all seems to have happened so fast.

Comments

[cmcmck]

As Terry Pratchett memorably put it, 'inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened.'

I know what he means! :o)

[poliphilo]

That's such a good way of putting it.

[oakmouse]

It does happen fast, doesn't it? I recently looked up a school friend online and realized that we graduated 40 years ago this week. It feels like maybe five or six years ago at the most, and yet here I am with grey hair and rheumatism...

[poliphilo]

It's fifty years since I left school.