Shaken and not stirred. Life is a strange journey.

I am back. I am writing somewhat reluctantly today. I have had news today that has shaken me to the core. An acquantaince of mine died "suddenly" yesterday. He could not have been more than a year older than I. His name is/was Kelly Silverstein.

Kelly was a good man. I had just seen him two months ago at a fraternity alumni function. I sat with him and did not know he was, if he was at the time, ill. He leaves a wife and two young (early teen/pre teen) sons.

I think the reason I have so shaken and upset is that, from what I have pieced together and heard, he was diagnosed about a month ago with leukemia. This is something that strikes close to home for me. In fact, I want to know which type of leukemia he had.

By way of background, it was acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) that took my father from me/us over 16 years ago. I guess if it was not that, it would have been something else. In any event, I still miss my father and the counsel and guidance that I have lost. I know that I may, may?, not have taken his advice and that in his absence I could be inclined to make him seem, in my own mind, like the second coming of either Socrates or Solomon (he was neither, but there was wisdom in his words and deeds). I am aware of that. It would have been and would be something to treasure, though. Again, you do not know what you have until it is gone.

When Willie's grandfather passed away, Willie's father impressed me, again, with his ability to view his personal sadness in a larger context. He knew how lucky he was that he still had his father at 68 (his age, his father was 98). As somebody who lost his father when he was 26 (which was better than my brother, 19, sister, 22, and own father, 8), he said what I thought.

The other leukemic victim that I knew was my neighbor. She had breast cancer and had chemotherapy. When that was done, she got sick again. It was acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) which was probably caused by the chemotherapy. You have to love the fact that the "cure" for one cancer gave you "new" life just to take it away with another form of cancer. Sadly, she passed away about this time last year. That may not have happened had the hospital admitted her quickly for her infection (lung).

I could go into a screed about the state of our health care system, but that is not the point right now. A young, relatively speaking, man has died leaving family and friends grieving. I am just torn up about it and that is all there is to say. Good bye Kelly Silverstein, your journey here was too short and you touched a lot of lives. Ciao!