This year is only going to last a few more days before next year arrives. I am amazed at how quickly time passes now compared to when I was younger. In just a few months, I’m going to be a quarter of a century years old. In a few years, I’ll probably be engaged or married with children not far behind. And before I know it, I’ll be old. Well, I hope that I can take each moment that I am given and enjoy it as it comes.

There have been many people who have come and gone since I was born. But this year, while reading this article in the Houston Chronicle, I realized that something is different about those people who have passed on this year than those who died in previous years. I seem know of many more people who are on this list than before. This could amount to one of three things (probably more):

a. I know more people because I’m more aware because I’m older.
b. It’s like this every year and I just don’t pay attention
c. I was particularly quite familiar with many people who died.

Specifically, I didn’t know that Robert Stack of the infamous show Unsolved Mysteries died! When my mom got hooked on this show, obviously we watched it plenty as well. So it’s sorta strange to know he’s gone.

However, those people which I did know caught me off guard because of how many of them there were: Barry White, John Ritter, Fred Rogers, Michael Kamen, Bob Hope, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Adkins, and the list goes on. I don’t think these people really have much of a significant meaning to me but rather they are/were people who have just been around for a long time or I kept track of. I just don’t pay attention to people for very long before they’re gone already.

So do I have a point? Well, I guess just for myself at least. I hope I can figure out how to take advantage of life instead of taking it for granted. I have a lot that I hope I can accomplish and not much time in which I can do it. Because before I know it, I’ll be gone!