Some people believe that when your "time is up" you die no matter what you are doing. While I may have once thought that to be true, I no longer believe in a predetermined life. I truly believe that Bill would have been with us today if he could have beat his greatest demon - alcohol. I had fought with him about his drinking from 1984 (when I discovered he had a problem) until the time of his death. At times the fights were a little rough and at other times I simply told him that I worried about him and that I wanted him to live so that I would have my brother in our old age. His comment was that he "wasn't going to die."
My nephews and I drank a toast to Bill at the cemetery, but I would have rather spoken to him on the phone. For those of you who may have confronted Bill about his drinking on more that one occasion, I salute you. To anyone that thought it was fun to drink with him knowing that he had a problem, I can only hope that you will think twice the next time. It's too late to help Bill - that moment has forever past. Remember that when you see another friend in need.
He is a picture of Bill's place of internment from December 31, 2007.
