I had been waiting for awhile to make the 100th post on this blog. I kept waiting for something 'important' and 'awesome' enough to be worthy of the 100th installment on probably the longest-running thing I have ever done. Then, something 'significant' would happen, but I would neglect posting about it, forget what I meant to say, and put off the post again.
Well, probably the most significant thing possible has happened.
Three of my best friends and my soccer coach died in a car wreck.
I won't re-hash the details. Click the link. Read the article for yourself. For those who don't want to read, here's what happened...
Dan Firman (my soccer coach) worked for his older brother in the family irrigation business. Drew Erickson (my first girlfriend's little brother) and Aaron and Chris Hunley (two of the most talented, amazing young men that I have ever had the blessing of knowing personally) were working under Dan. It was summer employment for the boys - Drew was going to be a senior in highschool, Aaron was going to be a junior, and Chris was headed off to Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida.
They were coming home from work on US-131, a 2-lane highway. The car ahead of them in their lane swerved over into the other lane, causing an oncoming semi to swerve into their lane. Dan, Aaron, and Chris were killed instantly; Drew died the next day from complications. The accident happened on Thursday, August 20, 2009.
That evening, my friend CJ called me and told me the news. I called Caitlin and told her, and she started bawling immediately. I got in my car and drove up to her house to comfort her. The next day, I drove back home to gather my things, and on Saturday morning, I left to make the four-hour-drive back up to my old home, Gaylord, Michigan.
It was probably the most heart-wrenching thing I have ever had to endure. The funerals were awful. I mean, as far as funerals go, they were beautiful - but there's nothing beautiful about such a tragedy. Seeing everyone again was nice, of course, but not under the circumstances.
This post is dedicated to Chris. Of the four, Chris was undoubtedly the one that I was closest with. We had been acquaintances through high school - we never really got along very well for the longest time. Last summer, however, we started to get closer - if you remember, from the early days of [sub]norml, I painted with Chris and Drew - it was my job, and I loved it. Then, a few months before I moved to Canton, we became good friends. One Sunday night after church, he came up to me out of the blue and asked if I wanted to come over and watch the Red Wings game with him.
See, I was never popular / liked / invited over to people's houses during high school. (This is because, as I have learned, I was heartbreakingly immature and obnoxious during that period of my life. Only after having to drop out of Grace Baptist College and work for Norm Arlt III, quite possibly one of the manliest and toughest employers in the history of auto and diesel repair, did I grow up enough to be accepted by my peers.) This was a big deal. Naturally, I was thrilled to oblige. Thus began a friendship that I will forever hold dear. We started hanging out a lot - I was always over at his house for something - from helping him write a book for Grammar to watching the Wings kick the crap out of the Ohio Blue Jackets, we did it all. In fact, the last thing that I did before I moved was hang out with Chris. Right after church got out, he came up to me and said "Hey man, do you want to hang out one last time before you leave?" I am unspeakably glad that I did not say "No, I have to leave" - that would probably have gone down as one of the major regrets of my youth. We got in Big Blue (his large, midnight blue 1990 (1991? 1992? I don't remember) Ford E-Series 15 passenger van) and went to 7-11 to get a Slurpee, just like "in the old days" ( making a run to 7-11 to get a Slurpee after work was a tradition for us last summer). Then, we went to his house, watched a little of the hockey game, and ate some food... then I told him goodbye - for the last time.
If there's Wi-Fi in Heaven, Chris, and you're reading this, I love you man. I'll see you again. Count on it.
-K
6 comments:
My prayers are with you.
Thank you so much, man.
-K
hey johnny! loved that blog! but you failed to mention that i was there too at chris' a lot of the time with you both! and that we all played wii together remember!!!:-) ill always remember those times! and of course in loving memory ill scream this for them "GO RED WINGS!!!!!"
John, I really wish you wouldn't post intimate details about my brother's death for the whole world to see. Especially when you weren't there & don't have your facts straight. He was not thrown from the vehicle, he was never on life support to begin with & no one ever reported on the appearance of his internal organs but they were all perfectly intact. Furthermore, what truly happened is not really any of your business or anyone else's & I'm hurt that you would post such a graphic description of my brother's death, instead of honoring who he was in his life.
P.S. Other than you, of course, everyone who went to the funerals said that they were beautiful.
@Heather: Yes, I did leave you out, and for that I apologize. I will never watch the Wings again without thinking of Chris.
@Autumn: I have already done just about everything I can to right that situation. I edited everything that I thought I knew about Drew out of the post.
Yes, the funerals were beautiful - but that's not the point I was trying to make. Funerals are funerals; nothing about them is beautiful, really. You can have all the flowers and sentimental awesomeness and family around and everything - but they're still funerals, and as far as I am concerned, they are among the saddest parts of the human experience.
-K
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