Free Falling

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Damn!

The big D claimed Tom Petty.

Another hero from my youth...

...gone.

Corinne actually introduced us to Tom Petty before 1980. She bought his record and played it for us.

I was an instant fan.

I bought every record. Listened to them over and over. I had a chance to see him perform, and he tore the place down while drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Turned into a 30+ year love affair with all of his stuff.

It's shocking when a 66-year old man drops dead.

And to top it off, it all came down on the day when Las Vegas and the horrific news of that horrible event was crushing all Americans.

"What the hell?" My friend texted me.

"I don't even want to pick up the phone anymore," I said.

The greatest hits listing of songs raced through my brain.

And one stuck:

Runaway Trains.

Back in 1987 I really thought about death for the first time. A young girl passed away in a car accident.

"She's up there all alone. I'm down here changing lanes."

And the chorus:

"I'm depending on time, babe, to get you out of my mind."

Over and over I listened to it.

"And it's something you can't explain, like when someone dies, like runaway trains."

Sixty-six.

Clock stops for everyone.

Rich, famous, brilliant...

..makes no difference.

RIP to a jukebox.

Damn the torpedoes!

He was a talented guy.


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