My roomate and best friend of 6 years died of lung cancer

Cheswick2.0

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Fri Jun-11-04 10:08 AM
Original message

My roomate and best friend of 6 years died of lung cancer

Edited on Fri Jun-11-04 10:15 AM by Cheswick

It happened on April 28th, just three weeks after he was diagnosed...right in the middle of my student teaching. He had no money or life insurance. He was a 12 year member of the US Navy during Viet Nam. He served 4 tours of duty there.

When he came home he became an anti war protestor. He worked for the McCarthy campaign. He changed his registration from Republican to Independent and finally about 10 years ago to democrat.

After he left the Navy he worked for 23 years for a book binder. He was an electrical mechanic and spent many years as union steward. Several years ago he was let go after a bout of oral cancer because he didn't/couldn't return to work in the designated time. He lost his health insurance and never was able to replace the teeth he lost during his original surgery. He also lost part of his foot to an abdominal annuerism (sp?). But they reconstructed his face and did a better job than I have seen on some other people.

When I met him online he had run up his credit cards to the max just to pay rent and buy food. I talked him into declaring bankrupcy because he was paying 600 dollars of his 1200 dollar a month SSDI to credit card debt. He came to live with me because he was falling through the cracks and he was my friend.

Several years ago he had a heart attack and was never fully recovered. However he continued to be a role model for my son and a good companion to me. He did the shopping the cooking and the cat tending while I worked and went to school. We have been mostly broke all this time because I was in school and working 8 buck an hour jobs.

Sometime this summer I will be scatering his ashes at the shore. I donated his tissues to science not just because it was a good thing to do, but because they would cremate the body and return the ashes to me at no cost. When I scatter his ashes, I will sing the Navy Hymn from my hymnal and his favorite hymn "Be Still My Soul" and I will read a few psalms, 139, 23rd and the 121st. I hope a few relatives will be able to be there with me.

My friend was never President of the USA. Margarette Thatcher won't be with me when the wind takes my friend out to sea. Only a few lives were affected by his passing. I wouldn't want the horrible public spectacle for Jack that is the Reagan funeral. I wouldn't spend the money if I had it. How does God find you...more importantly how do you find the comfort of God amoungst all that pomp and circumstance?

My friends name was Jack. Jack had no use for Ronnie Raygun (as he called him). I think he has been giving old Ronnie an earful since the day he died. But I don't hate Reagan. I don't glory in Nancy Reagan's misery. I know there are people with no money who suffer much more because of their limited money and social support system. I just can't bring myself to enjoy someone elses pain.

I hope President Reagan's family finds peace and perhaps learns some wisdom in their suffering.

Peace be with you, particularly to all who are suffering and have lost a loved one.