I lay in bed all day long feeling, melancholy.....

Browsing the interwebnet last night, I came across a "Were you at This School in the 80's" (Other Schools are available, but this was mine).

Aha I thought, light entertainment, and much jovial chuckling.

First picture I looked at and laughed, I recognised all three of the lads. Very early 80's ; Very Beach life. And then I read the comments. 2 of the 3 were dead.

As I scrolled down the page, looking at other pictures it transpired that no less than 4 of the faces smiling out from the dated teen pictures were dead. No more. Not ever. These were people of my age, and seriously, I'm not old. I thought a while, and then counted at least another 2 I knew of now gone.

Heart attacks, Accidents, asthma attacks. Just death. Too, too young.

Just like those who we remember this weekend, gone, but not forgotten; they all contributed things to life, perhaps not the sacrifice: but the love and the laughter and the tears that we need to survive.

As well as those who have fallen defending our right to freedom of speech as much as anything else, I take a moment to remember those people from my youth and school days who left us, all too soon.