This weekend was our Pacific Masters Championships. It was a close battle between WCM and USF and I don't know who won at this very moment. I don't care.
You see, I left right before the 1000 today (the last event) right after the last relays. I watched some great swims today. Amazing swims. My friend Brendon swam a 2:03 200 fly and really hit his taper (as he's not going to Nationals)- we were teasing about how he does really well the week after a tapered meet. He seemed to finally figure it out this time.
My friend Stephen called me tonight and told me that Brendon also had a great 1000, was warming down, had a heart attack and died. He was 35. I was stunned. I've been crying since then trying to make sense of it all. It doesn't make sense.
I called some other friends and no one else can believe it either. Suddenly, the meet doesn't matter, swimming doesn't matter, what matters is that we lost a really great guy today. He was always so happy, funny, and loved to tell jokes. He was really good natured and fun to be around. I will miss him terribly.
Here is a song called "Precious Child" that Karen Taylor-Good wrote when her nephew Paul Rodgers suddenly and unexpectedly passed away.
you can hear it at:
www.compassionatefriends.org/precious_child.htm
here's the lyrics
Precious Child
In my dreams, you are alive and well
Precious child, precious child
In my mind, I see you clear as a bell
Precious child, precious child
In my soul, there is a hole
That can never be filled
But in my heart, there is hope
'Cause you are with me still
In my heart, you live on
Always there never gone
Precious child, you left too soon
Tho' it may be true that we're apart
You will live forever... in my heart
In my plans, I was the first to leave
Precious child, precious child
But in this world, I was left here to grieve
Precious child, my precious child
In my soul, there is a hole
That can never be filled
But in my heart there is hope
And you are with me still
In my heart you live on
Always there never gone
Precious child you left too soon,
Tho' it may be true that we're apart
You will live forever... in my heart
God knows I want to hold you,
See you, touch you
And maybe there is a heaven
And someday I will again
Please know you are not forgotten until then
In my heart you live on
Always there never gone
Precious child you left too soon
Tho' it may be true that we're apart
You will live forever... in my heart
George,
I envisioned my whole family living in this neighborhood. We'd still do our family things, probably with a lot more people, but we'd just always be surrounded by the positive environment that swimming provides.
What fun it would be to go to practice! (although I like my practices now)
I didn't mean just swimmers, I meant families. And we wouldn't swim all day- life would be "normal" except for the environment change.
By the way I purport we build this community in Northern California :)
PS Thanks for the distractions you guys :)
Hi Kira,
It was great to see you too. I'm sorry I didn't get to help you set up. I didn't forget, I just got roped into organizing the awards table!
Are you back swimming? Will we be seeing you? Hope so, I need a breaststroker to train with :)
Theodore Roosevelt
26th President of the United States
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the Arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
I cannot think of a better place for a man's life to end....then in the Arena....Brendon was in the Arena.....
Well...
First you sneak into a FINA convention with some of that special water (from the soap thread) and spike all of their drinks. Then I'll beam my alien self over and quickly rewrite some rules (when they're all getting hot and bothered over each other)...
it's a start!
