Today hit me harder than I expected. Today we gave thanks for the life of Barrie.
Despite Barrie being 40 years older than me, I was pleased and proud to call him my friend. My one regret is that we lost contact over the last few years, life does seem to get in the way sometimes.
I will always remember the welcome of his home and I never felt that I’d overstayed. I used to love spending the evening there on a Wednesday whilst Glennis was at “Keep Fat” where we would chat for hours about our interests/books/computing/life in general with a cup of tea (milk with two sugars. Not stirred because we didn’t like it sweet!). We used to have a mini book club going where we’d share the fantasy books we were reading. One character, Tasslehoff, was his favourite.
He’d complain having to clean the dead from his computer screen after shooting down “Jerry” in Knights of the Sky on the Amiga and the various other computer games we’d play.
Sometimes we’d just talk and let the conversation flow. Here he’d talk of harrowing tales from work, give advice about driving or other life issues or just put the world to rights. We’d sometimes be talking until the early hours of the morning. Nothing was ever forced, he was the calmest, wisest man I’ve ever known.
Barrie had a tremendous impact on my early life and I can honestly say that he made me a better person. What more can one person do for another?
I’ll miss you, my friend. Rest in Peace.
(I still have the Ying Tong Song stuck in my head…)
Darren Smith
22/08/2024
