Some years ago -- back in high school, I think, actually -- I read a passage in some book where a character described how he felt the first time he heard that one of his childhood friends had died. I remember wondering how I'd feel.

That passage ended with him saying "I guess I'm inured to it now."


I just got word that Jonathan Gemmill, a friend from high school, passed away in his sleep a few days ago. He was one of the craziest and most fun people I knew back then, and we were all kinda surpised when he followed his Mormon parents' wishes and left for three years on a Mission.

He was only allowed to call us once a year, around Christmas; it was good to hear that he was okay, but unsatisfying -- we always had more questions to ask.

After his Mission he went to BYU, and we still never saw him. It seems he was still there when he died.

Jon's the first of us, we geeks who met in junior high and stayed friends through high school and beyond, spending our time listening to hard rock and playing Dungeons & Dragons or Shadowrun and drinking too much Mountain Dew, to pass on.

I wouldn't say we were really close, especially over the past -- holy shit, almost nine years since we graduated. So I'm not sure how I should feel. But it's still a shock.