Competitive Spirit

I love pictures of people's families and friends.  They often tell beautiful stories.  Some homes I go into barely have any pictures to look at or maybe they are there but tucked away.  Most homes have pictures everywhere you look.  Some have walls full of history and others have tables holding a few frames.

A few days ago, I saw a photograph of a graduating class from more than 70 years ago.  This picture was beautifully framed behind glass to protect the images within.  What was confusing was the presence of X marks, done in heavy black marker on the glass over most of the photos.

I asked the meaning of these particular marks.  Did they signify a dislike for those classmates-something akin to drawing a mustache on a picture?  I know I had a few classmates who had annoyed me, perhaps this person did too.  What I heard has made me laugh since I did, the X marks were there to cross off those who'd died before the owner of the picture.  One by one, he had meticulously kept track of colleagues he had outlived; he's survived most of them and perhaps all.  Some time ago, he stopped keeping track, but given the age of this near centenarian, I think  it's a sure bet he has won this race.  

I love this job.