Aztek update and more sad news

There is much to recommend USAA insurance!   Within 3 hours of the accident the Aztek was moved from the tow yard 20 miles to a local body shop.  The owner called me and I went over to talk to him about  the car.  He thinks it may be repairable but only with mostly used parts.  He feels that USAA won't agree to new stuff since a new fender by itself is $688 and it is going to need all the sheet metal, the mirror and some steering components replaced.  We will see.  He is impressed with the sturdy construction of the Aztek and felt that other cars would not have stood up nearly as well to the multiple impacts.  In the meantime wer're faced with how to get young son to and from school for a month which is how long the repair will take once it is authorized.

Yesterday was a a crazy sad day.  To recap, I was picked up by the Missus at the tow yard and took her back to her work and drove her car home.  I was cringing all the way home expecting another vehicle to hit me. I felt shaky and sleepy at the same time.  Shock?   So I figured that Wendy's would fix me up. I was still in uniform and the manager gave me my lunch for free.  That was nice.  But, I got a call from someone at my former company to tell me that Carlos, my helper in Texas was dying and had only hours to live.  This same person's son was murdered in his front yard in sight of his mother and children several years ago.  I went to his funeral in Dallas and did my best to comfort Carlos and his wife Pam.  Now Carlos is dying.  I called Pam and she called me back last night.  She said Carlos had said recently that he missed me and wished he could hear from me again.

She put me on the phone with Carlos.  What do you say to a guy who is dying?  Get better soon?   Sorry I hadn't called earlier when you were still feeling ok?   Pam told me when we were done talking that I put a smile on Carlos' face and brightened him up.   How can one  family have so much tragedy?

My mother had a book of poetry that I read when I was growing up.  I don't care for poetry but one poem made a big impact on my as a kid.  I still think of it and found it on the internet without any trouble. 


Around The Corner

By Charles Hanson Towne

Around the corner I have a friend,

In this great city that has no end,

Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,

And before I know it, a year is gone.

And I never see my old friend's face,

For life is a swift and terrible race,

He knows I like him just as well,

As in the days when I rang his bell.

And he rang mine but we were younger then,

And now we are busy, tired men.

Tired of playing a foolish game,

Tired of trying to make a name.

"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim

Just to show that I'm thinking of him."

But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,

And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner, yet miles away,

"Here's a telegram sir,"…. "Jim died today."

And that's what we get, and deserve in the end:

Around the corner, a vanished friend.