Running On Empty

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Looking out at the road 
Rushing under my wheels
Looking back at the years
Going by
Like so many summer fields

Jackson Browne

"OK, thats odd", I thought to myself as I watched her walk in to the bar. Something is not quite right here.

Bartenders who deal with a lot of regulars develop an awareness of the plethora of rhythms that make up the daily traffic. Certain people come in at certain times, and when that rhythm is broken, a bartender becomes curious.

When the dude who has never shown up prior to 1am is waiting at the door for the commencement of a new day, I get inquisitive. Mostly, the reasons are innocuous, but sometimes they are profound.

And so it was tonight as I watched one of my favourite members of Team Humanity make an out of place entrance. I glanced as 180 poured her a drink, I saw the thousand yard stare in her eyes. I know that look, something very bad has happened.

I wander over and ask her how its going, knowing the answer is not going to be good. Her voice cracks as she tells me her story. A friend has died suddenly, someone her own age. Someone close to my age.

Look around for the friends
That I used to turn  to
To pull me through
Looking into their eyes
I see them running, too


As we grow older, we experience the mortality of those around us at an ever increasing rate, until we experience our own expiry date.

I walk out from behind the bar and try to comfort my grieving friend, but I feel that my words are terribly inadequate.

My advice to anyone dealing with death is simple. Grieve fully, give yourself all the time you need, and eventually, learn to accept. Sometimes though, its a long road out.

At the end of the day, some things are tragic and unfixable, and we have little choice but to stoically move forward in the face of adversity. We owe it to the departed to do what human beings have done in the face of crisis, tragedy, and loss since time began.

Press on.

Running on empty
Running blind
Running into the sun
But I'm running behind

And keep going.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nrGrP8xBg0