Don't Blink

Don’t Blink.  It’s a song made popular by Kenny Chesney.  The lyrics remind us that

time goes so quickly that before we know it life passes us by.  I have been reminded

of it twice this week.  Once by a cousin’s blog and then on a facebook post by my oldest

and best friend.  My friend and I shared a cradle together in church when we were 4

months old according to his mother and mine.  Once in kindergarten we snuck away from

the church to see a robin’s nest full of baby birds in a local neighborhood.  He fell out of

the tree we were in, scraped his leg then ran off and left me to find my way back.  We

played football,  baseball, cowboys and indians.  We camped in our backyards sneaking

off to wander around the town in which we lived and once went skinny dipping at a

neighbor’s house in the middle of the night ( I cannot confirm that their dog ran off with

my underwear).   We shot each other with BB guns or  roman candles when we could find


them using metal garbage can lids as shields.


Occasionally, I’m sure we even exchanged blows although I can’t remember a specific

incident.  We went on band trips during high school and I can never remember us not

being friends.  He sat at the funeral home for three days when my sister died and I will

owe him that forever.   We have stayed in touch in our adult lives and commiserated

or celebrated life’s events.  He married another high school friend late in life, 


had his first child and introduced me to a side of him I never knew.   This week

his little girl put on tap shoes for first time and my son put on his football helmet for the

first time.  We spoke about it over the phone.   Don’t blink my friend, don’t blink…..