Another Year and One Step Closer

I got a call before Christmas from a friend and former colleague, Erick Wujcik (http://www.47rpg.com/blog/, http://www.erickwujick.com), who informed me that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It was a year ago a former professor, Richard Newton, who was the Dean of the Engineering School passed away (from pancreatic cancer). I was able to see Erick twice last year (2007) before he got the news and also saw him this week when he visited Hong Kong. After reading Chasing Daylight and Not Fade Away (which I've blogged about earlier), it was an eye opening experience being a part of someone else's "coming to terms with the possibility of death." Erick has lived a full life and is in very good spirits. He has also influenced many people, myself included.

Perhaps it is a sign of middle age (I turn 44 this year). Up until now, I've been fairly fortunate in that my friends and family are still around. I've only lost a few people that I've known well. My grandfather, a handful of friends (Garrett Omata, Kenny Cheung, Linda Mabalot). I expect that it will become more of a regular occurrence as I grow older. With age, time seems to be going by a lot quicker as well. The days, weeks, and months seem to be flying by. I've been alive 15,900 or so days so another day is just 1/15,900 of my time alive vs. the first day which represented the whole of my existence outside the womb. Perhaps or experience of time is related to the harmonic series.

This New Years had me reflecting again about mortality. The New Years Eve party bordered on surreal with fireworks going off, my kids dancing on stage with a live band, and me wondering how I would feel if this were the last New Years Party that I would ever attend. Like birth, death is a process that we will all experience and must reconcile. Who are you. Why are you here. The comfort of loved ones. The miracle of life. Music. Love. Perspective. Presence.

Right here, right now, it is good to be alive.