It’s a year today since Terry died and I miss him more than ever. We hadn’t seen each other for a decade or so, so I didn’t miss seeing him when he died, but we kept in contact via frequent emails – and the longer I go without hearing from him or emailing him, the more I miss the old fucker! We were friends for fifty years, and we developed a lot of our outlook on life together – mostly when we were teenagers. When he died, it felt like part of me had died too. I could talk to him about things I can’t talk about to anyone else – not expecting them to understand me in the same way Terry would have, anyway.
I would say rest in peace, me old mate, but he’s not resting, he’s dead. I don’t believe in an afterlife – which is clearly just a silly fantasy of people too scared to face reality. When you die, that’s it, it’s over. Consciousness is the product of a bunch of chemical reactions in your brain and other parts of your body, and when you die, they stop – you have ended. The only place you live on is in the memories of those who knew and loved you – of which, I’m pleased to say I am one. Terry’s still alive in my memory, and will be till it’s my turn to die.
Were he still alive to read that, Terry might have disagreed with me on some of it – it’s a discussion we’ve had once or twice. He might not even have approved of my posting it, although I don’t think he would have minded. So, as this is still Terry’s blog, I should say the opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.
Will Kemp
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