PLEASE ... Do It In The Living Years

Picture a shy naïve 18-year-old police recruit arriving at the busiest police station in NZ. Otahuhu in South Auckland slap bang in the middle of a massive state housing project, with new immigrant families typically numbering several kids, along with first generation NZ Pacific Island parents and their numerous children as well, set in the old ways, trying their very best to maintain standards and discipline as their kids grew into disaffected rebellious teens. The result? Tension, social problems and consequential crime. This was the environment I was stepping into back in the 1970s.

“Gidday mate you can head out with Rosco” my sergeant growled. A mountain of a man who had represented NZ at rugby league. Rosco seemed years and years older than me, he was married with two kids and loved a laugh and a beer. He was a gun rugby player, golfer and tennis player having represented NZ at the youth Wimbledon beaten only by a young Bjorn Borg in the final. Basically, he was a f*^%ing legend and that first day he became my mentor and my mate. Roll to current day and this year he died.

He was in WA, living in Dunsborough. Busy in my life and with my own kids, like his now all adults, I had only found the time once in the last 5 years to head down south and visit my mate for three days. Then he died.

It was the big C. No one told me because I had become an isolated, self-induced hermit hiding in plain sight after losing a marriage, a business and now I sat in my room and wrote crime adventure fictional tales and planned my Plan B for literary success just around the corner. I sometimes thought to call him or txt him or visit him. But I never did. And then he died.

Sure, I attended his funeral and spoke at the gathering. I learned for the very first time that he was only four years older than me. I had known him for 45 years. But now suddenly he was dead...gone.    

On my sad trip home, I played that beautiful song When I See You Again by Wiz Khalifa the words of which I will simply copy here as a tribute to the mate that I didn’t give enough time to when he was alive. And then he died.

It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

Damn, who knew?
All the planes we flew, good things we been through
That I'd be standin' right here talkin' to you
'Bout another path, I know we loved to hit the road and laugh
But somethin' told me that it wouldn't last
Had to switch up, look at things different, see the bigger picture
Those were the days, hard work forever pays
Now I see you in a better place (see you in a better place) Uh

How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?
Everythin' I went through, you were standin' there by my side
And now you gon' be with me for the last ride

It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again (I'll see you again)
We've come a long way (yeah, we came a long way)
From where we began (you know where we started)
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again (let me tell you)
When I see you again, Oh, oh, Ooh (yeah)

First, you both go out your way and the vibe is feelin' strong
And what's small turned to a friendship, a friendship turned to a bond
And that bond'll never be broken, the love will never get lost
(The love never get lost)

And when brotherhood come first, then the line'll never be crossed
Established it on our own when that line had to be drawn
And that line is what we reached, so remember me when I'm gone
(Remember me when I'm gone)

How can we not talk about family when family's all that we got?
Everythin' I went through, you were standin' there by my side
And now you gon' be with me for the last ride

So let the light guide your way, yeah
Hold every memory as you go
And every road you take
Will always lead you home, home

It's been a long day without you, my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
We've come a long way from where we began
Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again

Oh (uh), oh (yeah-yeah, yeah) Ooh (yo, yo, uh)
When I see you again (see you again, yeah, yeah)
Oh (yeah), oh (yeah, yeah, oh-oh) Ooh (uh-huh, yup)
When I see you again:
 

Please tell them you love them in person in the living years.

Regards Magnum
George's Grief Counsellor & Roscos Mate
For: Langtrees.com 

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^{Credits
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Cameron Jibril Thomaz / Phoebe Louise Cockburn / Justin Scott Franks / Andrew Cedar / Joshua Karl Simon Hardy / Daniel Hume / Charlie Otto Puth Jr.
See You Again lyrics © Wb Music Corp., Warner-tamerlane Publishing Corp., Universal Pictures Music, Artist Publishing Group West, J Franks Publishing, Artist 101 Publishing Group, Upg Music Publishing, Wiz Khalifa Publishing, Wc Music Corp., Andrew Cedar Publishing, Charlie Puth Music Publishing}