Life is Short

 

This photo makes me feel such mixed emotions.

 

So happy thinking of a good friend, so sad that he's gone.

 

I was literally reminiscing about G with Bret today as we were at a ski patrol refresher up at Whiteface Mountain today.

 

Thinking back to when I was a rookie ski patroller 20 yrs ago, and GJ was just a lead patroller with long bleached blond hair and black fingernails.

 

He took me under his wing and taught me how to drive a toboggan, helped me with my skiing, when no one believed that I could ski.

 

He put on a tough exterior, could ski the crap out of anything, and all with no big fuss, 

 

I'll never forget one afternoon, after work, a few beers turned into a whole lot more and before we knew it three guys hiked up the hill to a huge jump left over from a big air competition not far from the locker room.

 

The first guy went and launched it (was it Jason Boyer, Megan Boyer? I can’t remember)

 

Next Mikey Todd went and we were all cheering as he sent it pretty big too,

 

Then G goes and was so high in the air he was above the cable for the chairlift, 15 feet higher than the other guys, 

 

Jesus Christ was mentioned by a few people.

 

He could pull off those stunts, that normal humans couldn't.

 

After decades of not skiing bumps, he foreran a mogul comp on the mountain, in his patrol vest full of gear and put down an amazing run, pulling out all his old moves from back in the day.

 

I asked him how he felt and he admitted that he was crippled, but he went and did it the next day, just as hard.

 

He didn't sit down, he'd always rise up.

 

And inside was the most kind, generous, big hearted person.

 

He face palmed every time he asked me who was on the radio, and I could never answer because it was Metal, I had no clue,

 

He'd quiz me on the Simpsons, and drove me to buying the entire Simpsons DVD library, so I'd have a clue.

 

I sno-sealed my gloves till they squeeked, because he said to,

 

And he trusted me with his crazy A level dog Voodoo, who almost killed me multiple times going nuts on the chair lift.

 

It was G that gave me the belief that I could ski better, after my first ski patrol director told me point blank that my skiing sucked.

 

And he was never surprised a few years later when I was sponsored by Alta Ski Area and Roxy, because my skiing didn't  suck.

 

He called me proudly and left me a message on my phone from "Coach Stone" the day I qualified for finals at the Freeskiing Nationals at Snowbird, after I jokingly put him down as my coach.

 

At the end of my patrol career out west, by that time he was patrol director and I was getting my Masters,

 

And he let me come out to work during my vacations, something that no other director would have ever said yes to.

 

He was the kind of person that made you feel like you were someone important, 

 

Someone that was appreciated and respected, even when you didn't feel it yourself.

 

He was never afraid to be himself, and to do everything he did with excellence.

 

And he was also the kind of person that never took advantage of anything, because he was so real, 

 

So humble.

 

He will forever be one of my mentors, 

 

He was one of the first people in my life that saw in me what I couldn't see in myself,

 

Allowed me to express and explore it.

 

Let me make mistakes, and always asked for more.

 

He led by example and never asked of you anything he couldn't do himself, and there wasn't much he couldn't do.

 

Maybe except put down his oatmeal creme pies and peanut butter cups.

 

The world needs more people like G.

 

More people that can see that we all have pain, we all have history, and no one is perfect,

 

That we all deserve to be taken under someone's wing to be guided to where we belong,

 

And just because we can't do something today, doesn't mean that it will never happen.

 

To be seen for the potential that we are.

 

And to show us just how much more we really are capable of.

 

To hear our wildest dreams, and to say ok, then take this step,

 

And this next step, and this next one,

 

Quietly celebrating your wins with you, and not so quietly when they know you deserve to be recognized for how far you've come.

 

It's the mentors like this in my life, who's energy I have felt and can remember like they're standing with me today,

 

That I cultivate in my life,

 

That I teach my amazing clients.

 

Because it's this energy that brings a blessed life to us. 

 

And I'll forever be grateful for my time that he was there to show me.

 

LIfe is short my friends. 

 

Don't waste what precious time you have. 

 

If you don't like the way your life feels right at this second, then change it.

 

It's not only something you can do, you must do it.

 

You have the gift of life. 

 

It doesn't last forever.

 

Rest in Peace my friend.