Life is fleeting
Today at work we received news that someone in the office passed away Saturday. He was riding his bicycle and wearing a helmet and I guess he was in an accident. Apparently something on his bike failed and he crashed in the canyon. This canyon is very close to where I live. It just makes you think.... here one day, gone another. I am afraid I didn't know him personally, but when we received the email, I heard many exclamations of, "Oh my God!" and I felt sad for everyone's loss. It feels odd to be here and feeling sad for someone who's face I don't even know. Not that I feel odd for feeling sad at all, but that I feel a little removed from the situation and I don't really know what to say since I don't know the person.
I did pop up over my cubicle wall to express to my neighbour that he please be very careful riding his new motorcycle. And I will remind anyone I know who rides anything ever to wear a helmet (my workmate who passed was wearing a helmet). Sometimes I guess there's nothing you can really do.
It was also kinda depressing to listen to the mundane business need stuff that has to be taken care of, like processing him out of the the system (I overheard the comment that it gets treated like a termination of employment to some degree) and there is I am sure paperwork to be filed and processed with other parties, like insurance and such.
Today has been a rough day. But I am grateful I am still here and that many people I love are still here.
On the 4th of July I was talking with a friend about serious injuries and death and what-have-you; sports injuries that are permanently disabling, and things that make a person differently abled from birth. The friend I was talking about this with recently sprained his ankle while BMX biking, doing crazy jumps and such. He was expressing how glad he was that he had not broken it and that it was healing alright and he would be BMXing again soon. I was reminded of the phrase, "There go I but for the grace of God." It basically means that all those things we see, like people forever in wheelchairs, people dying, disabilities (either from accident or birth), could have happened to us, but have not. Whether you believe in God, or luck, or whatever, I guess the point is that anything can happen to us at any time, and I think it reminds us to value what we have. You never know when you may no longer have it (life, beauty, youth, freedom, happiness, love, family, a hale and healthy body, etc...)
I did pop up over my cubicle wall to express to my neighbour that he please be very careful riding his new motorcycle. And I will remind anyone I know who rides anything ever to wear a helmet (my workmate who passed was wearing a helmet). Sometimes I guess there's nothing you can really do.
It was also kinda depressing to listen to the mundane business need stuff that has to be taken care of, like processing him out of the the system (I overheard the comment that it gets treated like a termination of employment to some degree) and there is I am sure paperwork to be filed and processed with other parties, like insurance and such.
Today has been a rough day. But I am grateful I am still here and that many people I love are still here.
On the 4th of July I was talking with a friend about serious injuries and death and what-have-you; sports injuries that are permanently disabling, and things that make a person differently abled from birth. The friend I was talking about this with recently sprained his ankle while BMX biking, doing crazy jumps and such. He was expressing how glad he was that he had not broken it and that it was healing alright and he would be BMXing again soon. I was reminded of the phrase, "There go I but for the grace of God." It basically means that all those things we see, like people forever in wheelchairs, people dying, disabilities (either from accident or birth), could have happened to us, but have not. Whether you believe in God, or luck, or whatever, I guess the point is that anything can happen to us at any time, and I think it reminds us to value what we have. You never know when you may no longer have it (life, beauty, youth, freedom, happiness, love, family, a hale and healthy body, etc...)