hits

I am getting a lot of hits to my blog this past week because of Shane Wyrsch's untimely and tragic death. People are looking for information about Shane, I am sure. Unfortunately, I didn't know him other than to say hi, if I bumped into him, and that was 18+ years ago.

Paige was at her dad's this weekend, and he went to Shane's memorial service. They played football together in high school; I think football bonds guys eternally.

So when I met with Paige's dad in Auburn to pick Paige up on Sunday, he showed me the program (?) that was used for the service. It had an awesome picture of Shane with his wife and kids (his kids look so much like him!) and a tear-jerking poem about the importance of his wife and kids in his life. It sounded like a beautiful memorial, from the description Paige's dad gave.

I haven't heard anything more about the guy who caused the accident-- I know he was drunk and was driving with a suspended license. I'm kind of glad he didn't die (painfully disabled would be good, though) because then maybe he can spend the rest of his life rotting in jail; however, he'll probably end up getting something ridiculous like 14 years (or less). That will be another hit to his family-- going through a trial and sentencing. I hope they find strength during this time.

Someone commented my blog a few days ago and mentioned another Mount Si Class of 1989 death. Pete Thompson. He was our ASB president, IIRC. He had cancer. Ugh. You know, every time I hear of someone's death-- someone who I remember as young and vital-- it's like being punched in the gut. Like my friend Renae (also MSHS 1989) said, we are too young to get cancer; to have strokes; to die. It's just not right.

Anyway, I had to Google Pete, and I found not really anything but a person's Christmas letter that mentions, near the bottom, Pete's passing, which I am assuming occurred in 2006.

The death of people I went to high school with makes me very nostalgic. I go to classmates, the Mount Si Alumni site, drag out my yearbooks (much to my children's amusement). I remember the boys and girls I adored; the girls I hated. The boys who were assholes. The teachers who gave a damn and the ones who could care less (some of those are still teaching at Mount Si!). The parties. Spodies. Keggers. Football games. Dances (no one goes to high school dances anymore, you know. So sad).

I notice, however, in my internet sleuthing, that a lot of the people who remain exactly where they were 18 years ago are, really, exactly where they were 18 years ago. It's interesting because the population of North Bend (where I lived) has changed tremendously since I left. I am sure Snoqualmie has, too (I have no idea about Fall City. I think it is probably forever the same). People with big money moved into the valley and bought humongous and expensive houses, while the long-established locals live in Riverbend or The Rim or a trailer.

I was telling Wayne the other day that it doesn't seem fair that families who have been living in the valley for generations are priced out of the really good housing. Hm. It's just an interesting dynamic in the valley. I bet the high school is freaking insane now; I bet there is a greater disparity between the haves and have-nots than when I was there. I cannot even imagine.

Anyway, enough of that. I need to get away from the nostalgia in order to be a productive person.