So sad

In high school it was Me and Tom, Becca and Pat and Rich. Rich was usually the odd man out but his mom would give him $40 every time we took him anywhere so we made sure we had him if we wanted to buy booze or something.

Rich was strange. He tried to set me on fire once. I wasn't sure if it was all the drugs or his depression. Rich was also a true friend. One night I remember him driving over cones - yes we were wasted - it was about 3 am - and he was driving about 10 miles an hour by Becca's house. He ran over the cones and I said you ran over cones so he stopped and backed up and up popped all the cones that were stuck under the car.

Rich's parents bought him a Corolla. I learned how to drive on his car. I was designated driver when I was pregnant with James and we all fit in his car so we would take that.

Rich worked at Dominos with Tom for a while. He went to Palomar with us. We were always together every weekend. He played bass.

After I broke up with Tom he kept most of the friends. It was OK - I needed to be an adult and they were still enjoying being kids. After my divorce I moved back to town and Rick was the friend who called to check on me. We went dancing in PB and I remember him singing along with Sublime - and every time I hear the song I think of him. I didn't see him for years but I ran into him downtown one night - he wanted to tell me about scientology.

I found out from my friend Pat - who I just found on myspace - that Rich died about 4 years ago. I didn't know. Tom didn't know. Pat sent me to an obituary notice. He didn't find out until much later. It doesn't say how he died and I am really curious.

I can't stop crying. I'm mad at myself for losing contact. I wish one of us would have been there at his funeral. We owed it to him.

Kind of reminds me of one of my favorite Steven King quotes - from The Body (turned into the movie Stand By Me) - Friends go in and out of your life like bus boys in a restaurant.

Call an old friend. See how they are doing. Don't let them slip away - you might regret it