rescue me

It's that time of the year again, the anniversary is approaching of my friend 'H' passing away. I don't know why but this year I've been thinking about him more than usual. Although I didn't know 'H' for long, he'll always be remembered. At his funeral someone said at the end that 'H' had helped them out by getting them to AA, and pretty much saving their life, and there were probably more people in the church that day who could say the same thing. I know he helped me out by keeping me on the straight and narrow. If I ever started drinking again, I'd be dead in a fortnight, that's guaranteed.

When 'H' became ill, I made a personal decision to help him out in any way I could. 'H' used to like walking up in the hills, he told me there was a monument somewhere up there he had seen once (we could never find it) which quoted Psalm 121, "I will lift mine eyes up unto the hilles, from whence commeth my helpe". We arranged for 'H' to have a last trip around his beloved hills, which he'd tramped for many years, John Muir style, with his dog Sparky (the wonder dog.)

Sadly there was nothing any of us could do to prevent the inevitable outcome, and 'H' passed away. The last time I saw him, I'd dropped in past on the way home from my work, and we had a laugh together. I miss him sometimes.

Here's a video from one of my favourite TV series, "Rescue Me" starring Denis Leary. I like it because I can relate to some of the things Tommy goes through, and I can certainly relate to that self-destructive, bring on the pain, attitude that has him reaching for the whisky. It's a good tribute video, for a good programme, and whenever I watch it, I think of my old pal 'H' and realise that we all have our own fate, sometimes it's tough, but what matters is meeting your own fate with courage and with dignity.

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