A Life Too Short

Funny how things work out sometimes. When I did the blog for Craig Edens I could not find the photo I wanted even after searching through dozens of CDs. Then as Gwynne was cleaning off our Dell computer there was the folder with the photos I was looking for. Craig is the smaller person on the right as you look at the photo (Matt Drehmer is the other student). In retrospect I wish I had taken more photos but I could never get all of the students to class at the same time. Anyway, now that I found this photo I want to share it and a few thoughts with you.
Some of the people we meet in life are for specific reasons. Sometimes those reasons are apparent sometimes they are not. Coming from a very ancient faith system I believe that we often meet people we have known previously from another life or time. People are like magnets. When the poles are correctly aligned wonderful things happen. When they are opposed, well things just don’t click. Craig was on a short-list of people I was sure had entered my life before and we just clicked. He was familiar to me like a younger brother and we shared many of the same interests. He was very interested in Art and Shamanism. At his age I had already missed an opportunity to go to Art School and during the time we were training together I was reading a book about indigenous peoples and their folk magic. Craig was obviously a student of the martial way, training with myself in kenjutsu and with another sensei in Shorin ryu Karate-do. In fact the katana Craig is holding in the picture was built from a blade he bought from me and then mounted himself.
Unfortunately Craig was our second sword student to die in a car accident. I guess the same consuming passion that fuels a young person’s desire to learn the way of the sword is the same one that causes them to climb cliffs, jump from airplanes, explore caves, and drive too fast. They believe they are invincible. I still remember when I felt that way, don’t you?