Requiem For My Friend

Nobody ever likes to write what I’m about to write. Memorial posts just seem like it’s not enough to honor the memory of a friend who has passed away. You feel like there is more that you should be doing, but there is nothing you can do to make the pain go away. So here is my attempt to somehow deal with all the emotions that come with losing someone close to you.

I could sit here and write about how good of a person my friend Larry was because he was a good person. I could sit here and tell you about how he came from a great family that loved him immensely, because he did. I could even tell you that for all his flaws he was still a genuinely good person and an amazing friend, because he was. I’m going to tell you why he was my friend in high school and someone who I was proud and honored to consider a brother from Kenwood Academy.

You see me and Larry had a lot in common when we both arrived at Kenwood. He was one of the big fish in a small pond types much like myself when we arrived as freshmen. I think the difference with my homie was that he had unflappable confidence from day one. Nothing you said shook him where as I was a bit timid coming into this situation. He always was telling me I could have any girl I want and was smarter than any of the idiotic guys considered cool at the time. He was a kid who came from a single parent household and lived in a house filled with women. He knew the struggle I had because he had been through it as well.

It was also Larry who introduced me to two of the teachers that I feel changed my life. It was Larry who convinced me to take English 1st period so I could take a class with Mr. Townes. A man whose old school style and humor mixed with great intelligence really spoke to me. He also introduced me to Mr. Green, a man who taught me the ropes of journalism and how to write objectively before he let me write any editorials. As my editor on the high school paper it was Larry who never let me choose what section to write for because he knew I would always choose sports. It forced me out of my comfort zone and I never stopped thanking him for that.
Larry was along for that fateful trip to Grambling which ended with us both leaving a mere week after arriving. From dealing with a roach infested dorms to gold tooth sucking and disinterested admission counselors he was there. Definitely the calmer of the two of us, he could be forceful with his voice and not come off as a raving lunatic like I did. We laughed at how he became my de-facto spokesman.

I could sit here all day and tell stories of how awesome my friend was. How he, my sister and a few more friends of mine would sit around a table and just clown around. I can’t remember a time where I laughed so much. I’ll miss my friend dearly, I’ll ask why, but deep down I know he is no longer in pain.


I’ll end by saying I hope anyone whose eyes my read this are lucky enough to have a friend like Larry was to me.