"Lynyrd Skynyrd - 'That Smell'"

2016 was the year of death for me I suppose that's a consequence of growing older. The big name losses in the music industry (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, et. al.) hit my favorites hard.

In private, I learned of the deaths of two former friends. One was a woman I had a very complicated relationship with for years. I met her in AA and her mind was the quickest I've known. Unfortunately, she started lying and stealing. She told me that she stole from every job she'd ever had. I was flabbergasted. When her lies and other bullshit became too much, I told her to leave me alone. She did. She and her fully grown son moved to Colorado because pot is legal there.  His birthday reminder popped up on Facebook the other day and I checked on his page for the hell of it.  Then his mother's.  She died last spring, in her sleep.  Shit.  Well, I guess her son followed what I told her abut leaving me alone.

The other death occurred here, in this building.  Shortly after I moved here, I met an old AA buddy who had been living here for years.  She and I used to spend hours in the (AA) Central Office talking.  She was very shaky every time I saw her here.  Then, the other day, I see on the bulletin boards that she had died and some people were trying to find a new home for her cat.  I was stunned.

I suppose I better get used to seeing people drop dead around me until it's my turn.