Some old physiological wounds were reopened last week when I learned the news of the tragic accident that claimed the life of Chris Ashby.I had just finished filling the gas tank of my wife’s car a little bit before 7 p.m. on July 5, when I ran into a friend who said he had the misfortune of passing by the scene of the accident on his way back from Sioux City.When I asked my friend if he knew who was involved in the accident, he delivered the stunning news to me.I hoped it wasn’t true.With a few phone calls, I’m sure I could have found out if what my friend told me was true. Instead, as if I was trying to escape the reality of this tragedy, I waited for the 10 p.m. news to confirm what I had heard about three hours earlier.It was true, and that’s when my old scars resurfaced.I never really knew Chris Ashby personally.We did share some brief exchanges after the all-state hurdler won races at some of the track meets I covered over the last few years.Other than that, all I really knew was that Chris was an outstanding athlete who excelled in track and field. He played a big role in Luverne winning its first state team championship just one month ago.I also know Chris was expected to be a big part of Todd Oye’s offensive plans for the LHS football team this fall, and he was expected to help Tom Rops’ varsity basketball team this winter.Something I don’t know is who was in Ashby’s circle of friends. And yet, those of you who are in that circle are ones I’m gearing this column toward.I’m not going to preach to you, and I’m definitely not a counselor. I would, however, like to share a story from my past that will place us on common ground. And somewhere down the road, when the pain of this tragedy subsides, you will take comfort in knowing Chris’s spirit always will be with you.When I was a senior in high school in 1979, one of the friends in my inner circle was a young man named Rob Schuler.Robbie was one year older than I was, but we shared a lot of the same interests and became close friends some three years earlier.One thing we didn’t have in common was Robbie’s passion for snow skiing.I had skied once before my senior year in high school, but Robbie was a veteran of the slopes, and the enthusiasm he shared for the sport was infectious.Robbie especially loved to ski the mountains in Colorado, and about one month after his graduation ceremony in the summer of 1978, he was seeking a commitment from me to join him and two others for a one-week retreat to Vale the following March.I was reluctant at first, but Robbie assured me there were smaller challenges in Colorado for less-than-novice skiers like me. And, after securing permission from my parents (Robbie worked them over pretty good), I committed myself to the foursome.The way things turned out, I never did get to take that trip.I also made a commitment to play guard for the Breckenridge High School basketball team that winter, and an extended postseason-run ended with our team qualifying for the state tournament in the middle of March.Robbie was disappointed when he learned that I wouldn’t be able to go Colorado, but he understood the reason why.Unfortunately for my friends, they didn’t make it to Colorado either.They left for Vale as planned, but an ice storm in South Dakota was saddled with the blame for another tragic accident. Robbie lost control of the vehicle on an ice-covered highway, and he was the lone fatality when his car collided with another.This happened 27 years ago, but that doesn’t matter. I know what the friends who formed Ashby’s inner circle are experiencing right now, and it’s a big pill to digest.All I can offer the grieving friends of Ashby is this: Time does heal all wounds.My life is much different now, but there’s hardly ever a day that passes when different memories from my boyhood friend pass through my mind.With the exception of times like this, when similar tragedies claim a young life, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how he died. Instead, I remember all the good times and precious moments I shared with Robbie Schuler.He’s a part of who I am today, just like Chris Ashby will be a part of you for many years to come.