October 21, 2009
Tina- this entry is for you.
I first met Nick when we were at Carmichael together. He subsequently dated all of my friends, I think :) While I'd never say he and I were real close, our paths always seemed to cross throughout the years and every time I saw him again he'd act as though I'd seen him every day and we never missed a beat. He was full of energy. Every time that I talked to him he had so much enthusiasm for whatever the topic was, and that was one of the things that made it so much fun to see him. I read some of the other entries and I got a kick out of how many people commented on his social skills. I decided to write to you now because Nick has crossed my mind a lot lately for some reason, and I didn't realize how close to one year it was. I remember being happy for Nick when I heard he had a daughter, and I was shocked and very sad for him when I heard she had passed unexpectedly. I work in emergency services and with Hospice so I really thought I had a good understanding of what he'd be going through, and just that killed me. Now, almost a year later, I have a nearly 5 month old son and now I know that I wasn't even close to relating to Nick. Or you. My son is my life... I don't think I'd cope if I lost him, and I have so much empathy and respect for you, Tina. I hope you know that so many people have fond memories of the fun, happy Nick. When I was 21 I dated a friend of his that had a motorcycle and I wanted to learn how to ride them myself but I was nervous... Nick was hilarious about it. He was so excited that I wanted to learn about something he enjoyed so much. They also took me on the scariest ride of my life flying down Clodfelter Road, it was my first time ever as a passenger on a motorcycle and the two of the scared the bejeezus out of me. At one point I know I had tears streaming down my face, certain we were all going to wreck... and I looked over and saw Nick sitting crazy all up on the gas tank of his bike and flying past. When we got back to town he was wild-eyed, and as scared as I had been, his excitement was so contagious. They taught me how to ride the bike for myself and I had my own bike for years after that and I always thought of Nick on that day and his enthusiasm. He made it fun. My thoughts and prayers will be especially be with you over the next few days, I hope you find comfort in knowing all the lives that Nick affected, and that his story affects to this day. Keep in mind that good can come of this. Nick was a very friendly, relatable man that people remembered, and his story can be told to open the lines of communication and understanding for families that previously avoided discussing "taboo", yet very serious, subjects such as suicide and any mental disorders. It is way more common than people understand and it can affect anyone. He had a lot of fun in his life and he made his short time count. I believe that young people can relate to him and learn from all of this, and from you. I know that I have. Kat
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Kat,
Richland, Washington