Absent Friends

Absent Friends

Noel Laflin

1-22-16

A former school chum - perhaps one of my very first long-time pals in life - has alerted folks, some from as far back as elementary school, that a mutual classmate and friend has died.

The tributes and memories from an era long gone are pouring in, as they rightly should.

He was a popular boy - blessed with good looks, a keen sense of humor, an honest smile.  And he grew up to become a good man.

Should there be another formal class reunion, his name will appear on the memorial board that will greet us as we sign in and pick up our name tags – the ones bearing a grainy black and white photo of how we once looked nearly fifty years ago.

And then we’ll stop to ponder his name, along with the ever growing list of others placed upon that cold board, sadly updated over five and ten year increments.  There will be some audible gasps as we note a name and photo of a classmate for whom we were not aware of his or her passing - who was here – what, ten or was it really twenty years ago already …

When we were young we were instructed to answer ‘present’ at every class roll call.

If we did not respond, our teachers checked the ‘absent’ box next to our name on the clipboard.

There will be the pang of memory for the very ones that we had so much looked forward to seeing again – only to be told by this stark reminder of a different kind of checked box upon a very different type of board - that they would be absent this day.