(no subject)
I apologize to those reading this who have not already heard. Please make sure you're sitting down.
I'll never forget the day last summer I met Roger Schafer, known to many as Jack. The best friend of one of my best friends, Kelly, we were destined to eventually cross pathes, afterall I had heard so much about him. I remember coming down the stairs to meet this "jack" character, not even knowing how much he would change my life. Needless to say, Jack and I became friends fast, Roger Jack to me, that's what I called him. I remember barely knowing him and driving with him to pick up some car he had just bought. We didn't really talk that much on the trip, and I thought that maybe we just weren't meant to get along. But Roger proved me wrong. He was the kind of person that made friends with everyone he met, and was the most spontaneous person I had ever met. We started emailing each other back and forth while at work to help pass the time, and he was just the right dose of sillyness and happiness to make every day a good day. The first time he and I ever really hung out, he just came to the house and we ended up watching Garden State because I had never seen it. In the middle of it, something reminded me of Foxwoods, and I mentioned that. The next thing you know, the movie was over, and we were driving in his crazy car to CT to hit the casinos. That was spontaneous alright. We got lost on the way, but that was fine because we kept passing the most incredible sunflower fields...I said something about it, and the next thing you knew, he had pulled over, hopped a barbed wire fence, and picked a huge flower. Because that's how he was...the fearless guy who slept in his car when he couldn't find a place to crash. He was an adventurer.
The best time I ever spent with him was a road trip we went on to pick up yet another person I had heard so much about but never met, Rob Doughty. Though Roger Jack and I still weren't terrific friends, somehow I got asked to go on the trip. Needless to say, we had a crazy time together driving to New York, then on to Ohio to pick up Rob. We called our trip Rustoria...I don't remember why, but I know it had meaning then, and I know I have cd's labeled with different volumes of Rustoria. We swang by his house in Syracuse, and then continued on to Buffalo where we stayed with his sister and brother-in-law and their adorable dog Willis. That night they took us out for authentic buffalo wings at Duffs. After dinner, Roger introduced me to the tv show Scrubs, a cute sitcom I quickly fell in love with. The next morning we continued on to Cleveland, collected Rob, and discovered that Cleveland is one of the lamest cities on the weekend. Needless to say, we still had a good time walking around, while I took pictures of random things, including him posing in the laps of statues. On our way back to Buffalo to crash another night, we stopped at Niagra Falls. Absolutely beautiful at night. The next day we went to Six Flags somewhere in New York for Fright Fest. He called out my name in front of one of the zombies so that it would know my name and the next thing you knew, I had a special friend following me around calling my name. Roger thought it was hysterical, and I couldn't help but laugh after the fact. We drove on that night to Syracuse and crashed with his family. His family were some of the kindest people I had ever met, welcomed the three of us into their home with very little forewarning (Roger wasn't much of a planner), and I could tell that he was part of a wonderful loving family.
He was always down for a trip to Coldstone, or just down for hanging out at the AGD house watching TV. I taught him how to braid hair, and he had mastered the art of the pony tail.
At the AGD formal this year, my date was being a jackass, and a slow song came on, with Chris no where in sight...I stood there feeling ditched and alone, when someone came up behind me, put their arms around me, and starting singing in my ear. And it was Roger. He had left his date, with her permission, saying he thought I needed him more at that moment. He'll never know how right he was, and in that moment it was confirmed for me that he was a genuine person and a great friend.
I got the call tonight telling me he had drowned. Right now I'm shocked and sad.
My heart aches for his familiy, his best friends, and everyone else whose lives he touched. He certainly touched mine.
Kelly...I'm thinking about you. Give me a call when you're ready.
I think the best thing to do in these situations is to look back and remember the happy times. Here are the few pictures I have from Rustoria. If you're reading this and you knew Jack, please comment with a happy memory. I'm sure that that's what he would want.
I'll never forget the day last summer I met Roger Schafer, known to many as Jack. The best friend of one of my best friends, Kelly, we were destined to eventually cross pathes, afterall I had heard so much about him. I remember coming down the stairs to meet this "jack" character, not even knowing how much he would change my life. Needless to say, Jack and I became friends fast, Roger Jack to me, that's what I called him. I remember barely knowing him and driving with him to pick up some car he had just bought. We didn't really talk that much on the trip, and I thought that maybe we just weren't meant to get along. But Roger proved me wrong. He was the kind of person that made friends with everyone he met, and was the most spontaneous person I had ever met. We started emailing each other back and forth while at work to help pass the time, and he was just the right dose of sillyness and happiness to make every day a good day. The first time he and I ever really hung out, he just came to the house and we ended up watching Garden State because I had never seen it. In the middle of it, something reminded me of Foxwoods, and I mentioned that. The next thing you know, the movie was over, and we were driving in his crazy car to CT to hit the casinos. That was spontaneous alright. We got lost on the way, but that was fine because we kept passing the most incredible sunflower fields...I said something about it, and the next thing you knew, he had pulled over, hopped a barbed wire fence, and picked a huge flower. Because that's how he was...the fearless guy who slept in his car when he couldn't find a place to crash. He was an adventurer.
The best time I ever spent with him was a road trip we went on to pick up yet another person I had heard so much about but never met, Rob Doughty. Though Roger Jack and I still weren't terrific friends, somehow I got asked to go on the trip. Needless to say, we had a crazy time together driving to New York, then on to Ohio to pick up Rob. We called our trip Rustoria...I don't remember why, but I know it had meaning then, and I know I have cd's labeled with different volumes of Rustoria. We swang by his house in Syracuse, and then continued on to Buffalo where we stayed with his sister and brother-in-law and their adorable dog Willis. That night they took us out for authentic buffalo wings at Duffs. After dinner, Roger introduced me to the tv show Scrubs, a cute sitcom I quickly fell in love with. The next morning we continued on to Cleveland, collected Rob, and discovered that Cleveland is one of the lamest cities on the weekend. Needless to say, we still had a good time walking around, while I took pictures of random things, including him posing in the laps of statues. On our way back to Buffalo to crash another night, we stopped at Niagra Falls. Absolutely beautiful at night. The next day we went to Six Flags somewhere in New York for Fright Fest. He called out my name in front of one of the zombies so that it would know my name and the next thing you knew, I had a special friend following me around calling my name. Roger thought it was hysterical, and I couldn't help but laugh after the fact. We drove on that night to Syracuse and crashed with his family. His family were some of the kindest people I had ever met, welcomed the three of us into their home with very little forewarning (Roger wasn't much of a planner), and I could tell that he was part of a wonderful loving family.
He was always down for a trip to Coldstone, or just down for hanging out at the AGD house watching TV. I taught him how to braid hair, and he had mastered the art of the pony tail.
At the AGD formal this year, my date was being a jackass, and a slow song came on, with Chris no where in sight...I stood there feeling ditched and alone, when someone came up behind me, put their arms around me, and starting singing in my ear. And it was Roger. He had left his date, with her permission, saying he thought I needed him more at that moment. He'll never know how right he was, and in that moment it was confirmed for me that he was a genuine person and a great friend.
I got the call tonight telling me he had drowned. Right now I'm shocked and sad.
My heart aches for his familiy, his best friends, and everyone else whose lives he touched. He certainly touched mine.
Kelly...I'm thinking about you. Give me a call when you're ready.
I think the best thing to do in these situations is to look back and remember the happy times. Here are the few pictures I have from Rustoria. If you're reading this and you knew Jack, please comment with a happy memory. I'm sure that that's what he would want.