I have to go to one of my best friend’s funerals today in about ten hours. I can’t sleep. I slept for a little bit last night after crying myself to sleep. This has hit me especially hard since I’ve never lost a friend before. For those of you who didn’t know Kirk, you missed out on one helluva person.
I first met him in middle school. This was when I was going through my goth phase and had my fingernails painted black. He looked at me kind of funny and I stared back at him and said, “What?” He didn’t pick a fight. He just looked away as in, “You do you.”
High school was when we became close. We both shared a love of metal. We bonded over Pantera and Slayer. He saw that I was wearing an Ozzy Osbourne shirt and Ozzy was his idol. We got to talking about Ozzy and what our favorite songs and albums were of his up to that point. He’d always sit outside the lunchroom where all of us misfits sat and just fuck around and have a good time with the rest of us.
We both went to Ozzfest 2002. Some friends of mine and I met him there and he was the first person I got in a mosh pit with. I was a bit timid and he told me, “You just gotta go for it,” so I rushed in without a thought in my head and moshed with Kirk and the rest and had a blast.
One Fourth of July neither one of us were doing anything. I called him to see if he wanted to hang out so I went over to his house where the two of us enjoyed some beers and passed a blunt back and forth to each other the whole night.
I’d go to see his band play anytime they played at bars that were close. He was such a great frontman. Encouraging others to have some drinks with him after the show was over. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t like him. He was friendly toward everyone he met.
I wasn’t expecting this, and I don’t know if I’ve still fully accepted it. He’s gone and we’ll never hang out and shoot the shit again, but I do have very fond memories of him that I will cherish forever. He was never in a bad mood, always gave me and my mom a hug every time he saw us. Always ready for a good time. Always down to smoke or drink with someone. He’s going to be sorely missed.
Sisyphus Shrugged 