h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A friend of mine died this morning. http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/9343761.Man_died_in_morning_crash/

It's the first time I've lost anyone from my own generation. Three of my four grandparents have died, a few great aunts and uncles. But that's natural. They were all fairly old.

Until earlier this year I had never even known any of my friends' parents die.

I feel... I don't know what I feel. Empty. Numb. Angry. Upset.

Shortly after we broke up after our O levels one of the gang I was at school with collapsed and died from an asthma attack. We were all saying how terrible this was and what a shock it was. Then one of the lads whose father worked in insurance brought a graph in which showed how an 'average' group of 30 male 21 year olds would die.


About 12 of us left now some 35 years later.

Sorry to hear that. I lost someone my own age when I was in my late teens (suicide, when I met her (via an ad for penpals in a magazine) she was in a private mental health clinic), then another in my early 20s (killed by a drink-driver). It's hard to get over. Not that you ever get over it, but it's nice when there are films or tv shows that bring back the memories now. I'm not in touch with either family, although I'd stayed at both girls houses more than once.

I hope that doesn't seem too little,

I do not know what else, I intrude

Thanks everyone.

Mina, I like the idea that things will remind me of him. I like to think that every time I see a bottle if Newcastle brown, It will spark a memory.

That'll carry on for ages - a friend of mine killed himself last year and, although we hadn't seen much of each other since we both left school, it hit me (and a gang of mutual friends) hard because he was the first of our generation to die (plus the suicide aspect of it).

It's amazing the things that remind me of him, in loads of little ways. Even a year and a half after his death I'll find myself thinking about him.

I raise a and be leaving a

I am very sorry to hear that Egon. The deaths of my contemporaries make no sense to me and confuse and shock me anew every time I think of them.

Thanks peanut, thanks iago, thanks Ben.

It jUst doesn't seem right when someone your own age dies, does it? Hes survived by all four of his grandparents. That just isn't the way it should be.

I can't watch Overboard without thinking of Penny. She liked 'Eat your chequers!' and 'I guess I'm supposed to walk around with their little corpses stuck to my fingers!'

No it never seems right and quite often very shocking, the younger people I know have died in accidents or from something totally unexpected

I know any death is a difficult to come to terms with but in my own experiences that if there had been a period of preparation, there were things, like the opportunity to say goodbye for instance that provided an extra comfort when grieving

One of my friends has a small gathering every Friday and Saturday, where we have a few beers, smoke a few cigarettes, watch some bad tv and have some good conversation.

There are normally about five or six people there, not the same people every time, but it's how our social group tends to operate.

Last night, thirteen of us were there. Crammed into a small living room in a two-up two-down mid-terrace. A living room which only has four seats.

We all just needed the company, and we didn't talk about our fallen friend much, we just enjoyed the company, and did what we normally do on a Friday. And it helped us, I think. It was better than us all sitting at home feeling sorry for ourselves.

Most of us will be round there again tonight for bonfire and fireworks. We're all hurting, but we're doing quite well At holding each other together.

Looking from closer to the other end of life, I sympathise. Be glad that you may not be able to put your pain into words quite yet, but you do in fact feel.

It all got a bit emotional last night. His sister came to the bonfire and fireworks, one of our friends had been to see his girlfriend during the day. we chatted about the old times,and there were tears and hugs and so on.

It was the funeral today. Preceded by a motorcycle drive past and introduced by Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird, a secular ceremony told the story of his life through anecdotes and family stories. We then had a sideshow of photos of him, accompanied by the Allman Brothers Band's Midnight Rider. Finally his body was committed for cremation, and he was seen off to Barroom Hero by the Dropkick Murphys.

We then had a Five hour week, featuring, by request of his will, a meat raffle. I am now having a couple f hours recuperation at home before I head to the pub he once worked in, for e evening session.

The Chaplain at the ceremony said "He came into this world with a whimper. he's going out with a bang."

It happens far too often that people die at a young age. It never feels right, it is heartbreaking.

For sideshow, read slideshow and for five hour week, read five hour wake.