TJ
Death is never an easy thing to hear about. I found out the other day that a friend of mine, TJ, from Buffalo, died recently. He had been one of the coordinators for the Coming Out group way back when in UB. This group helped me so much when I was coming into my own. He in particular, being there and being supportive and helpful and having that network open was amazing. And honestly, from the little that I've known him he had always been a warm, friendly person to be around. He was one person that made me feel comfortable being in the room most times.
I actually have this napkin from him I used to carry around. Not for any weird reason. I bumped into him in Spot Coffee this one time. He was writing for me a few things in Japanese characters on a napkin one being, how 'gay' would be written in Japanese. If I remember correctly, there was no word for 'gay' but he showed me how the syllable sounds, Ho-Mo would be written. I think we had been talking about how so many people get Japanese characters for tattoos. I thought just for fun if I ever got a tattoo and wanted Japanese characters, I'd like to have something gay written in Japanese. So after he had did that for me I kept the napkin in my wallet in case I ever did drop by a tattoo parlor. Plus, it was one of the first times I ever been in a Spot Coffee so I saved a napkin for a souvenir. I'm weird and sentimental like that. It's not in my wallet right now but I know I put it aside in my room somewhere because the napkin had been falling apart from being in there for so long.
It's really sad to have to find this out about TJ. I didn't get to know him as well as I'd have liked to but this is really the closest that I've come to dealing with a death of someone I knew. Other than this, the only other time would be when my Grandfather died when I was really young and at that age it's hard for you to comprehend a thing like death so you don't think as much of it. Death is just not a subject I like to hear about or even joke about, it's not a topic I like discussing too much about either. I just hope TJ is in a better place now and his soul is in peace.
I actually have this napkin from him I used to carry around. Not for any weird reason. I bumped into him in Spot Coffee this one time. He was writing for me a few things in Japanese characters on a napkin one being, how 'gay' would be written in Japanese. If I remember correctly, there was no word for 'gay' but he showed me how the syllable sounds, Ho-Mo would be written. I think we had been talking about how so many people get Japanese characters for tattoos. I thought just for fun if I ever got a tattoo and wanted Japanese characters, I'd like to have something gay written in Japanese. So after he had did that for me I kept the napkin in my wallet in case I ever did drop by a tattoo parlor. Plus, it was one of the first times I ever been in a Spot Coffee so I saved a napkin for a souvenir. I'm weird and sentimental like that. It's not in my wallet right now but I know I put it aside in my room somewhere because the napkin had been falling apart from being in there for so long.
It's really sad to have to find this out about TJ. I didn't get to know him as well as I'd have liked to but this is really the closest that I've come to dealing with a death of someone I knew. Other than this, the only other time would be when my Grandfather died when I was really young and at that age it's hard for you to comprehend a thing like death so you don't think as much of it. Death is just not a subject I like to hear about or even joke about, it's not a topic I like discussing too much about either. I just hope TJ is in a better place now and his soul is in peace.