“Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they’re here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday”. The Beatles

I found out yesterday that my best childhood friend died last week. Bob and I were mates from elementary grades through high school, and a bit beyond. He was my best man in our wedding and a good friend to Cheryl, too. We haven’t been in personal contact for years, but he is indelibly etched in my fondest remembrances. Writing this piece creates a few tears as I realize that I cannot reach him again as was our plan for next year.

I ask myself, “Do I miss Bob that much or is it the memories I miss so desperately?”. Both, I conclude, because he and they are intricately tied together. My childhood and coming-of-age years are a mixed-bag so-to-speak. They were some of the most wonderful days of my life. If you’re like me and led a somewhat ‘normal’ life, they conjure up a potpourri of feelings ranging from extreme exuberance to numbing insecurity. Some of the mischief Bob and I got into was just plain craziness, and surprisingly we survived.

No matter, as those days are behind us. However, my association with Bob did positively contribute to my becoming a more responsible person (however one wants to describe this attribute). Although I literally missed decades of spending time with my friend, I believe his integrity and easy-going attitude, honed while still young, helped me navigate a particular dysfunctional period of my youth.

Lewis Carroll once quipped, “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then”. I have pondered this statement and am still trying to discern if I agree with it. But what I do know is that life’s experiences affect us in countless ways. There are no “Do Overs” and dwelling on regrets doesn’t benefit anyone. Fortunately, I do believe in the positive power of “Fresh Starts”.

Regardless of where one may land while contemplating Lewis’ point-of-view, there seems to be something wonderful about ‘living in the moment’. As Carly Simon famously sang, “These are the good old days”. Let’s hope so, anyway.