I saw you in the hall today Your head held high and proud You're so much better than me a close friend with the 'in' crowd In the trendiest of clothes you'll be found Nose in the air, feet on the ground
"Don't talk to him, he's not like us" Its easier to conform And avoid all the fuss Branding people with names from just what you see How can you judge what you don't understand And what makes you better than me ?
"Your hair is too long" does that make me bad ? "Your clothes aren't in " I don't follow fads "You don't hang out with us, You hang out with nerds " Not a bunch of faceless lemmings in a herd
WHY can't I wear what I want to wear And not be judged by the length of my hair. Why get yourself killed over a couple of beers Be a real rebel, rebel against your peers Or just stay blind, never seeing the edge and follow like lemmings over the ledge.
I saw you on the street today I know you saw me too Keep looking down on others And we'll never look up to you
"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."
-Ecclesiastes 4:8-10, KJV
Today is the seventh anniversary of Scott's passing...though several years have now gone by, it still seems as though he was here only yesterday. Scott was a true friend, a brother, and a "one of a kind" individual. Scott was very intelligent, witty, and possessed a dry but potent sense of humor. He could converse intelligently about American geopolitical policy one moment and then about some facet of pop culture the next. The vast majority of those who would try to engage Scott in a battle of words and/or wit quickly found that they came to the battle unarmed, including one or more high school administrators, as I recall :). To those who knew him casually he perhaps appeared somewhat aloof and outspoken, but to those of us who were close to Scott knew him as a man who would literally give up the "shirt off his back" to someone in need.
Scott was a very special person, a joy to be around (well execept maybe when he was blasting that confounded punk music he liked :) ) ,was a wonderful friend, and was a devoted husband to Mary. Though his illness sapped some of his energy toward the end, he never stopped caring about his friends and loved ones...
I have many, many fond and shared memories from junior high, high school, and beyond about Scott, and still feel a deep sense of loss when thinking of his departure, one that occurred far too early.
Perhaps our paths will one day cross again, brother, and know that I love you...
Today is the eighth anniversary of Scott's passing...
It still saddens me greatly that Scott has not been around to "continue the journey" with the rest of us in our circle of friends...to see the kids that have come along that he would have loved...to have gray hair as I now do :)...to have all of the other memories and experiences to cherish that have emerged over the past eight years...
Nonetheless, no matter how many years have passed we still have vivid memories of Scott and how much he meant to many of us, and that will never change.
We love you Scott, and miss you every day...
"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Walk beside me and be my friend."
-attributed to Maimonides
Scott always did just that, and in our hearts, still does...
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity."
Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)
Today is the ninth anniversary of Scott's passing...
I continue to feel blessed to have known him- as the years go by it becomes more and more apparent just how great a friend, and brother, he was. He was a friend in good times, bad times, and all times in between. That type of a friend, as I think that all of us find as life goes on, is a rare commodity, indeed...
"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another"
Romans 12:10 (KJV)
Today is the tenth anniversary of Scott's passing...
In looking back over the other things that I have posted about Scott in past years, I don't know too much more that I can add to what has already been said...I will reiterate a couple of things, however...
There are many of us that continue to miss him each day, his humor, sharp wit, easy-going demeanor, and most of all, his concern and love for his friends and loved ones. Even after Scott had reached a point where he was ill more often than not, and materially poorer than he had ever been, he still gave freely of encouragement, concern, kind words, and even gave away freely what money and goods he did have left.
I can think of very few, if any, times where he placed himself above anyone else, and this is and always will be my most cherished memory of Scott, and that which speaks most highly of him as a friend and as a human being. I consider myself blessed to have known him, and to have called him my friend.
Today is the eleventh anniversary of Scott's passing...
Today as I reflect on Scott's life, his friendship, and the memories he left behind, I feel the way I have felt most years on the anniversary of his death- sadness but also some feelings of joy in having known him.
He left us far too early, but the impressions he left and his love for those he knew live on in those who knew and loved him.
There still are not too many days that pass without some reminder of him- something he would have said, a comment he would have made, an application of his unique philosophy to some situation or problem.
Thank you for all that you were, and for what you left us. We miss you, and God bless you.
“Friendship is born at that moment when one man says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . ."”
-C.S. Lewis
Today is the 12th anniversary of Scott’s passing…
Even now not too many days pass without thinking about Scott. Unfortunately, it is often about the things he’s missed and the events in our lives that he has not been a part of since then. On the other hand I am thankful for the time that I did have to know him, and ultimately that is what is most important.
As we grow older many things become clearer, and many things grow dimmer, but for me the memory of a great friend with whom I endured many rites of passage and other life events, continues to be ever-present.
Sooner or later we will all make that crossing into our next life, and while I’m sad that Scott made his a bit sooner than we would have liked, our present lives have been made better by having known him.
True friends are hard to find, and true he was, and is.
God bless you brother- you are still loved, and missed.
"...And time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me..." -The Rolling Stones, excerpt from "Time Waits for No One", from the album It's Only Rock and Roll (1974)
Today is the thirteenth anniversary of Scott leaving us. Hard to believe it has been thirteen years already...
I still think often of him, what he would think about the world these days, or about the people and situations that have come and gone since he passed.
As always, I am glad to have been his friend and thus the beneficiary of his many theories, philosophies, quips, quotes, and anecdotes. Most of all, I had the chance to experience with him what real friendship was about, a commodity which is in short supply these days.
We all will follow Scott as the wheel of time turns through our fraction of a second in this existence, but I do wish his short time would have been a bit longer. The world would have been a bit better place for it.
God bless you my friend, and know that you continue to be missed and loved-
Today is the fourteenth anniversary of Scott's passing...
In looking at what I have shared about Scott over the past several years I could not think of much to say today that I have not said before...
I was thinking today, however, about some of the music we listened to together, as we both were big music fanatics. One of his favorite old-school albums was Bob Dylan's Blonde On Blonde, and one of his favorite songs from that album was "One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)". I'm sharing some of the lyrics from that song (below):
When I saw you say “goodbye” to your friend and smile
I thought that it was well understood
That you’d be comin’ back in a little while
I didn’t know that you were sayin’ “goodbye” for good
I love you and miss you, brother. Thank you for being a part of my life, and God bless-
Olga Nonno
Lemmings - written by Scott Semprini -1986I saw you in the hall today
Your head held high and proud
You're so much better than me
a close friend with the 'in' crowd
In the trendiest of clothes you'll be found
Nose in the air, feet on the ground
"Don't talk to him, he's not like us"
Its easier to conform
And avoid all the fuss
Branding people with names from just what you see
How can you judge what you don't understand
And what makes you better than me ?
"Your hair is too long" does that make me bad ?
"Your clothes aren't in " I don't follow fads
"You don't hang out with us,
You hang out with nerds "
Not a bunch of faceless lemmings in a herd
WHY can't I wear what I want to wear
And not be judged by the length of my hair.
Why get yourself killed over a couple of beers
Be a real rebel, rebel against your peers
Or just stay blind, never seeing the edge
and follow like lemmings over the ledge.
I saw you on the street today
I know you saw me too
Keep looking down on others
And we'll never look up to you
~~~~~
Damn it Scott , I am soo sorry
Randy Fike
"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."-Ecclesiastes 4:8-10, KJV
Today is the seventh anniversary of Scott's passing...though several years have now gone by, it still seems as though he was here only yesterday. Scott was a true friend, a brother, and a "one of a kind" individual. Scott was very intelligent, witty, and possessed a dry but potent sense of humor. He could converse intelligently about American geopolitical policy one moment and then about some facet of pop culture the next. The vast majority of those who would try to engage Scott in a battle of words and/or wit quickly found that they came to the battle unarmed, including one or more high school administrators, as I recall :). To those who knew him casually he perhaps appeared somewhat aloof and outspoken, but to those of us who were close to Scott knew him as a man who would literally give up the "shirt off his back" to someone in need.
Scott was a very special person, a joy to be around (well execept maybe when he was blasting that confounded punk music he liked :) ) ,was a wonderful friend, and was a devoted husband to Mary. Though his illness sapped some of his energy toward the end, he never stopped caring about his friends and loved ones...
I have many, many fond and shared memories from junior high, high school, and beyond about Scott, and still feel a deep sense of loss when thinking of his departure, one that occurred far too early.
Perhaps our paths will one day cross again, brother, and know that I love you...
Randy Fike
Today is the eighth anniversary of Scott's passing...
It still saddens me greatly that Scott has not been around to "continue the journey" with the rest of us in our circle of friends...to see the kids that have come along that he would have loved...to have gray hair as I now do :)...to have all of the other memories and experiences to cherish that have emerged over the past eight years...
Nonetheless, no matter how many years have passed we still have vivid memories of Scott and how much he meant to many of us, and that will never change.
We love you Scott, and miss you every day...
"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Walk beside me and be my friend."
-attributed to Maimonides
Scott always did just that, and in our hearts, still does...
Kevin Straub
Scott was my first friend at Central Middle School . He was my locker partner . We had Mr. Casenhiser for 7th grade Science ......Randy Fike
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity."
Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)
Today is the ninth anniversary of Scott's passing...
I continue to feel blessed to have known him- as the years go by it becomes more and more apparent just how great a friend, and brother, he was. He was a friend in good times, bad times, and all times in between. That type of a friend, as I think that all of us find as life goes on, is a rare commodity, indeed...
You are still thought of and loved- God bless :)
Randy Fike
"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another"
Romans 12:10 (KJV)
Today is the tenth anniversary of Scott's passing...
In looking back over the other things that I have posted about Scott in past years, I don't know too much more that I can add to what has already been said...I will reiterate a couple of things, however...
There are many of us that continue to miss him each day, his humor, sharp wit, easy-going demeanor, and most of all, his concern and love for his friends and loved ones. Even after Scott had reached a point where he was ill more often than not, and materially poorer than he had ever been, he still gave freely of encouragement, concern, kind words, and even gave away freely what money and goods he did have left.
I can think of very few, if any, times where he placed himself above anyone else, and this is and always will be my most cherished memory of Scott, and that which speaks most highly of him as a friend and as a human being. I consider myself blessed to have known him, and to have called him my friend.
God bless you, my friend :)
Randy Fike
Today is the eleventh anniversary of Scott's passing...
Today as I reflect on Scott's life, his friendship, and the memories he left behind, I feel the way I have felt most years on the anniversary of his death- sadness but also some feelings of joy in having known him.
He left us far too early, but the impressions he left and his love for those he knew live on in those who knew and loved him.
There still are not too many days that pass without some reminder of him- something he would have said, a comment he would have made, an application of his unique philosophy to some situation or problem.
Thank you for all that you were, and for what you left us. We miss you, and God bless you.
Vaya con Dios, mi amigo...
Randy Fike
“Friendship is born at that moment when one man says to another: "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . ."”
-C.S. Lewis
Today is the 12th anniversary of Scott’s passing…
Even now not too many days pass without thinking about Scott. Unfortunately, it is often about the things he’s missed and the events in our lives that he has not been a part of since then. On the other hand I am thankful for the time that I did have to know him, and ultimately that is what is most important.
As we grow older many things become clearer, and many things grow dimmer, but for me the memory of a great friend with whom I endured many rites of passage and other life events, continues to be ever-present.
Sooner or later we will all make that crossing into our next life, and while I’m sad that Scott made his a bit sooner than we would have liked, our present lives have been made better by having known him.
True friends are hard to find, and true he was, and is.
God bless you brother- you are still loved, and missed.
Randy Fike
"...And time waits for no one, and it won't wait for me..." -The Rolling Stones, excerpt from "Time Waits for No One", from the album It's Only Rock and Roll (1974)
Today is the thirteenth anniversary of Scott leaving us. Hard to believe it has been thirteen years already...
I still think often of him, what he would think about the world these days, or about the people and situations that have come and gone since he passed.
As always, I am glad to have been his friend and thus the beneficiary of his many theories, philosophies, quips, quotes, and anecdotes. Most of all, I had the chance to experience with him what real friendship was about, a commodity which is in short supply these days.
We all will follow Scott as the wheel of time turns through our fraction of a second in this existence, but I do wish his short time would have been a bit longer. The world would have been a bit better place for it.
God bless you my friend, and know that you continue to be missed and loved-
Randy
Randy Fike
Today is the fourteenth anniversary of Scott's passing...
In looking at what I have shared about Scott over the past several years I could not think of much to say today that I have not said before...
I was thinking today, however, about some of the music we listened to together, as we both were big music fanatics. One of his favorite old-school albums was Bob Dylan's Blonde On Blonde, and one of his favorite songs from that album was "One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)". I'm sharing some of the lyrics from that song (below):
When I saw you say “goodbye” to your friend and smile
I thought that it was well understood
That you’d be comin’ back in a little while
I didn’t know that you were sayin’ “goodbye” for good
I love you and miss you, brother. Thank you for being a part of my life, and God bless-
Love,
Randy