The Easterpeople: May 2011

I began this post last May. I wrote this with no real intention of publishing it, but sometimes I find writing therapeutic. At the time, I just had to get some thoughts off of my chest...

People that are close to me know that I always lie about my age.I will be forever '25'. Why is this? Because getting older scares the Hell out of me. I'm not afraid of wrinkled skin, painful joints or gray hair. I terrified of missing something. I don't want to die. I don't want to miss one smile on my kids' faces, one hug from a friend or a single "I love you" from my family. I also don't want to miss a new brand of tequila, the fall of an evil empire or the next generation of technology. I have never travelled to Australia, Ireland or Egypt. Every year that we age is another year closer...

I am currently reading Tuesdays with Morrie. Morrie has a fatal illness and is dictating his thoughts on the meaning of Life to a friend. Morrie explains that when you learn how to die, you learn how to live. Morrie is asked, " What about all the people that say 'Oh, if only I were young again". To which he replies, "That reflects unsatisfied, unfulfilled lives".

I don' hate many things. I hate lying, I hate raw oysters and I HATE LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE. This disease is slowly taking my father from me. My father is a funny, intelligent, caring person. He taught me to pitch a softball, change a tire and appreciate history. He taught me the value of a dollar, introduced me to road trips and helped me become a beer connoisseur. And now he is dying.

4 days ago, my dad lost his courageous battle with ALS. He never gave up hope for a cure. He constantly sent me news links about prospective treatments and research being done.

My dad was a man who loved his life. My sister said it best in his epitaph:

My dad had a lust for life and simply enjoyed living. He was very honored to have served in the Navy and enjoyed his travels around the world both with the military and in leisure. He was proud of the fact that he had visited every state in the country. My dad had friends from every corner of the world, and enjoyed experiencing other cultures. My dad had a desire to help his community and the less fortunate. His passions included Habitat for Humanity, the local Food Bank, the Humane Society and the Heifer Project. My dad had a great sense of humor and ability to laugh at himself, a trait that he kept until the end. He loved a good debate and could argue any side of a story. He was a very intelligent man who could strike up a conversation with anybody.