Into the Mystic... Farewell, Roger

Roger Kirschbaum at Hunter's Ranch - photo by Eric Keith



 It has been nearly a month since I found out about the passing of my middle school and high school classmate and friend K. Roger Kirschbaum and it is still surreal. I had not seen or talked to Roger, I would guess, since we graduated from high school nearly 30 years ago. I read about his passing on facebook from a posting of another classmate... it saddened me deeply. How could this be? We are only 48 years old. So much of life is still ahead. I haven't got to meet the man Roger had become. I really would like to know him again after all these years and now I can't. I feel a sense of real loss and I feel guilty about it because there are so many people out there that are his family of friends that are mourning, truly mourning, the departure of Roger - I don't deserve to mourn him but I do. I can't even recall one specific memory of him - but I do know that when I read or hear his name, I smile. I liked Roger Kirschbaum.

I have come to know Roger again through a facebook group "Remembering Roger" - his friends have shared so much and it has been a true inspiration for me to be allowed to connect with them. Thank you so much for letting me into Roger's life. It is amazing, you all are amazing. I don't know why but when I think of Roger now, this song comes to my mind.

Roger was a father, a husband and mate, a friend, a poet, and a teacher. He lived his life with passion and soul. He was happy, sad, tormented, reverent, and irreverent. He was ordinary and extraordinary. He was Roger. He will be missed, so missed. Rest in peace, Roger Kirschbaum, rest in peace.