I finally took some time to get to know someone in my guild years ago, and he turned out to be the best friend I'd never even met. The guy was almost never caught in anything but the best of moods, and his upbeat attitude always rubbed off on everyone for the most part. Either through his random and hilarious humor, or simply giving some kind words to cheer you up, he was there for you. It wasn't until after I got to know him better that I found out how he'd been struggling in real life, that I truly respected his constantly positive attitude. He'd been laid off due to the recession from a good computer-related job, and had been job searching for almost a year. Anytime he wasn't in game, he was simply trying to get interviews and putting in job applications, but nobody in the computer field was looking for new bodies at that time.

Finally, he had found a new job, and it seemed the stars were aligning for him. One night when he hadn't shown up for a raid, we simply assumed he was busy with his new job (he'd only been working maybe a week or two at most). Suddenly, members of the guild started getting phone calls from his cell phone. It turned out that Richard suffered a massive heart attack on the job, right at his desk, and had passed away. His brother (I believe) was taking the time to call everyone in his cell phone book to tell them of his passing. I'd never really had a friend pass before, much less one I'd never even met, but it was impossible to not feel devastated.

From this, I was simply reminded that life is short, and to enjoy the time you have - even with the people you've never even met.

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