Paul was a fishing and hunting buddy of mine from years past. We shot many a deer and grouse together, and had a great time fishing from time to time as our schedules allowed. He was a pretty good guy to have by your side in the field. He was sober there.

He struggled with an addiction to alcohol over the years and it ravaged his body. This addiction also led him to lose him wife, his job, and drove many of his friends away, including me. I'm sure it also caused issues with his family and the relationship he had with his two sons who are now in their teens. Many of us tried to help, but Paul was Paul.

I tried to stay in touch with Paul, but he lived like a hermit, squirreling himself away, not answering his phone, and only when he wanted to get in touch with you would you ever hear from him.

Paul died some time in the past few weeks, sitting at home all alone in his chair, unlit cigarette in one hand, lighter in the other. Nobody knows exactly when, unfortunately, because of his lack of contact with friends and family. This has to be the saddest way to die. Alone.

Please, if you have an issue with alcohol, get some help. I can call many of you here friends, and I don't want to lose another. I've lost two in the past two weeks, and it is beginning to piss me off.

I'll be thinking of you Paul.

Amen Andy

Sorry for the loss of your friend. Its always sad to watch the ones we care about go through that slow process alcohol death. It killed one of my grandfathers and his brother.

Just after I read this at 3:00 I got some bad news as well. I got a call from one of my friends and he told me that a guy we used to hang out with comited suicide 3 days ago. He was diagnosed as bi-polar and needed regular medication. He got into some trouble and was sitting in the county lock-up. He never saw the county doctor to get his medication approved. Bi-polar, no meds, and contemplation of his crimes led to his death. My buddy told me on a positive note that Seth was an organ donor and he helped 9 other sick people.

Sorry about your friend

4 years clean and sober for me on the 30th. You dont have to take another drink if ya dont want to. Sad story Andy but one I hear about all too often in the sobriety game. Good message for those that need it.-TBJ

Here is a Soundgarden song that is all about addiction. How alcholism is like living your own murder but you die like suicide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SamTSp9PjJ8

Heard it from another room
Eyes were waking up just to fall asleep
Loves like suicide
Dazed out in a garden bed
With a broken neck lays my broken gift
Just like suicide

And my last ditch
Was my last brick
Lent to finish her
Finish her

Bit down on the bullet now
I had a taste so sour
I had to think of something sweet
Loves like suicide
Safe outside my gilded cage
With an ounce of pain
I wield a ton of rage
Just like suicide

With eyes of blood
And bitter blue
How I feel for you
I feel for you

She lived like a murder
How shed fly so sweetly
She lived like a murder
But she died
Just like suicide

Dogfish,

Man, tough stuff. Had me bride read your post as well. Very sad.
Good of you to post such kind remarks. I know all too well the hurricane trail of destruction. "Love the person...Hate the disease" I get it.
DOS 2/5/87

P. S. Congrats TBJ!

Andy, sorry to hear of your friend. Addiction is hell and affects everyone around them as well. Hard to understand. Slab, TBJ, 7-16-99 for me, never looked back!

Sorry to hear about your friend.

I had a nice talk with Paul's dad today. What a great man. He just called to check on a few items, and Paul's dad took the time to share a few stories of "Paul in the good years" that other folks had relayed on to him, as he had the difficult job of relaying Paul's death to his friends.

That is how I will remember him.

+1

DOS 2-28-88

"That is how I will remember him."

Remembering the good times is the thing to do. Losing friends is never easy. I lost two good friends to agent orange related cancer. They were both active guys that were great to hang with. I remember the good times we had fishing, sailing and hanging but not the shell of themselves they were when they died.

Sorry to hear of your loss...

I lost a classmate/friend last night as well. It wasn't a result of alcohol, but a skateboarding accident right near the UW...Lost control and went under a bus and was run over...
The good die young. He was 19 and had the rest of his life to live...

Saw that on the news Fish Hunter. Sorry, man. I knew he was somebody's friend, child, etc.

I'll make it through. I spent a few years on his basketball team back in middle school and we never hung out much in high school, despite always having some classes together...Needless to say I wasn't as close to him as many others are. I do know that his close friends and family are having a much much more difficult time today then I am.

The sad part is that he's not a wreckless kid at all. So it's crazy to think he was involved in an accident on his longboard going to get food last night. It was quite unexpected to hear about it early in the morning. Unfortunately it's been the 2nd kid in my HS class to die as a result of "longboarding" in the past year...

I pray for his parents and family. His father was one of the nicest and best guys I've met. His mother, also, one of the nicest ladies I've ever met, and he has two younger brothers that are also great kids...

It's just sad to see the good die young....

Hang in there Dogfish. My buddy's going through the same scenario, ex hunting, and fishing partner, even served his Carpenter apprentice ship underneath him. He still takes him groceries weekly, but won't buy his cigs or boose. This dudes already thrown in the towel.

Peace out

Mf

I also knew Paul when he worked for my agency. He was a friend I used to go fishing and hunting with. I remember one time he and I and a guy named Rory got permission to pheasant hunt on an old family friend's farm.

After we were done hunting, we realized the old woman needed firewood brought in. Paul and Rory and I spent the next several hours hauling wood. Paul never even batted an eye to help someone in need. When the bottle got to him, he really changed and I lost touch. He pushed everyone away and wished to be left alone. He is the second friend from my agency that died this way. A bad end for a good guy.