Interrelated yet complete mysteries

Finally had Uncle Ken's memorial Saturday. Here is a man I have known all my life...a man who spent a lot of time with my Dad, naturally, since they were brothers close in age...a man whose family I know quite well since we spend time together a few times a year.

I can still show you the house where they lived in St. Helens, during the period of time they took Perry in because he needed a family, needed help.

I can show you the place they lived over in Gresham. Or out in Fairview.

I can tell you stories about one of his legs was shorter than the other or how his finger got cut off.

In short, I would like to think I know a fair bit about Uncle Ken.

And yet...at the memorial, out of perhaps 3 or 400 people, I maybe knew 100.

I often find that at funerals/memorials/weddings/parties for random strangers.

No matter how well I might know the person or couple being feted...our circles do not intersect all that well.

And vice versa.

Several times I would see Dad deeply involved in conversation and, should the conversation I was in drift near, he would introduce me to some long-time friend or other.

Who I have no idea who is.

And not because Dad is a stranger...we traveled hundreds of thousands of miles together, we have talked for hour upon hour and over all sorts of subjects. We were even talking about funerals and our respective wishes for our own just last Saturday.

Yet so many people in his "circle of friends" are complete strangers to me.

This is also true of my brothers. I could walk by some of their best friends on the street without knowing it, I do not know their co-workers, I am barely familiar with much of their in-laws...

And vice versa.

There is really no point to all this. I just had it strike home once more how, no matter how well you might know someone...they have a big portion of their life to which you are not privy.