Sunday, October 26, 2008 - Memories

Yesterday, I returned to my boyhood home town of Sparta. I paid my respects to an old friend, Marvin Williams. Marvin and I met while both of us served on the Sparta Auxiliary Police Force. Later, I became a full time employee of the Sparta Police Department.

I guess this paying of respects is just another sign I am getting older. As I stood in line to visit with Marvin's family and to say a final goodbye to Marvin, a friend commented, "We were wondering if anybody was still around who worked with Marvin."

At first I was upset by that remark. "Just how old do they think I am?" was a thought that went through my mind. "After all, I'm only 65. That's still young by today's standards," I reasoned.

However, as I left McDaniel's Funeral Home and walked toward my car I began to realize just how much time has slipped past me.

I left the Sparta Police Department in 1969 to become a Randolph County Deputy Sheriff. 1969 is almost forty years ago. And I left the Randolph County Sheriff's Office in 1981 to work for the State of Illinois. 1981 is more than a quarter of a century gone. And, I have been retired for almost eight years.

In retrospect, maybe my friend did have a valid question regarding any of Marvin's former co-officers still being around.

When I entered the funeral home I met my old friend, Sparta Police Chief Tom Ashley. Tom says he briefly worked with Marvin in 1974. Tom is much younger than I; so maybe I am not as old as I thought.

"Who else is around?" I silently mused.

Albert Salto, Jr., John Adams, and Bob ???? (I knew his name a second ago) are still here. I don't recall who else served with us. I do know there were more. Some are gone, like Ralph Pearce, Bill Graves, Elmo Morrison, and Carl Adams. And as is the natural course of life, others will follow.

There is an old song's lyric that goes like this, "Wedding bells are breaking up this old gang of mine."

In reviewing the text I just typed, above, I wish it were wedding bells that are breaking up the old gang. Then, we would have memories to make; not like today, memories to recall.

Watch for more bloggings on this site. I have come to miss writing.