journal-07/22/00

07/22/00

A couple of things have happened since we last spoke...

A former student of mine passed away on July 10. He was actually my case student, which means I took care of all the class work, program changes, family contact, and basic advocacy for him.

It's hard to lose someone who added such humor and unconditional love to the world, someone who brought so many smiles to my face... someone who knew when I needed to laugh, someone who understood when I was upset and tried to ease my pain as best he could... which was often better than anyone else could do.

He had physical problems. He had Cerebral Palsy. He had a seizure disorder. He was non-verbal. He was pretty seriously mentally retarded. He had trouble walking, trouble with basic motor skills. He fought a battle every day, just getting out of bed.

But what a great kid.

Gregory Dean McKinnon... I'll miss you.

I'm working on a website for him... I'll post a link here when I'm finished with it.

By the way, he was only 18.

Fortunately, work was very understanding about giving me time off. I got a personal day (even though I techincally haven't been there long enough to be eligible for personal days) for the funeral, and I ended up working a half day and taking off one other day, just trying to digest the shock. I made up that time... but I definitely haven't recovered. I can't even imagine how his family is dealing with the loss.

You know that phrase... you never know what you've got until it's lost?

Yeah.

That's about right.

On a lighter note... you know that concert, the Up In Smoke Tour? You know, the one with Eminem, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Warren G? Well... we went. The crowd was definitely not what I was expecting. There was a definite lack of ethnicity present. The concert was inundated with white high school kids! I was so surprised.

It was 4 1/2 hours long... and definitely worth it. Even though we had crappy seats... the sets were good, especially from Eminem and Dre/Snoop. Dre and Snoop's stage was very elaborate, with pyrotechnics and a storefront sort of set-up with an L.A. backdrop (of course). There were some songs I was unfamiliar with, and more old songs than I figured on... it made for a good balance intermixed with the radio-played songs.

The audience provided some entertainment of their own... they put the spotlight on one girl (a comedian came out between sets while they were busy changing the stage, and he kept asking for girls in the audience to show T & A) and she took her shirt off and jiggled her... you know... no bra on or anything, of course... and then she turned around and pulled her pants (and underwear, if she was wearing any in the first place) down to moon everyone. It was... interesting. She was so plastered she could barely stay upright.

There was so much weed at the concert I nearly got a high just from the smoke floating around me.

And I nearly got sick from inhaling all the cigarrette smoke...

But other than that, the concert was definitely worth it... it's the first rap concert I've ever been to... hopefully not the last (I still gotta see my Beastie Boys!)... but admittedly it was odd not seeing a band backing up the singers..

Otherwise... life is fairly normal.

As normal as my life ever is...