Passing of a good friend

I got the news of the passing of a good friend this weekend.

Reggie liked anything with 2 wheels. Cruisers, Choppers, Dirt bikes, Crotch Rockets, you name it, if it had 2 wheels he was into it.

About 2 years ago Reggie was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had surgury to remove it. After the surgury he had some problems but overcame them thru theropy but his health problems forced him to sell his CBR 600.

I talked to him a month ago and he was excited about a new house he was buying, asked me if I still had the 650R and told me he was doing good.

Reggie went to the hospital 3 weeks ago after some seizures and found out the tumor was back. From what Im told now, Reggie walked out of the hospital and went home. Last weekend he had a football party and watched his favorite team, the Raiders with his friends. The past week he spent all his time with his kids. Friday he went back to the hospital then passed at 8 am saturday morning.

RIP Reggie

Sorry for your loss.

I lost a friend last month to a tragic motorcycle crash. He and several firefighting friends were traveling down to see the firefighter memorial in Colorado. He lost control on a off ramp and struck a guard rail ejecting him from his GS. Unfortunately he had done what a lot of adventure riders do...Mixed alcohol with riding.

Please riders...Be careful when out on your journeys from town to town having a cold one before hitting the road/trail.

I'm not a religious guy. But I find some ideas very useful in times like this.

We are at that age now where those next to us are starting to drop. I'm 50 now and it's a surprisingly long list. Made more difficult by the real greatness of a man that often is never told until a funeral. I had a friend die in 2002 and turned out he was very involved in Special Olympics. He coached teams to gold medals. Spent thousands. He never said a word about it to any of us.

Since then, I've kinda tried to live my life in light of how fragile it all is. I try to tell my kids everyday that I am proud of them. That they make me rich. That they are the first time in my life that a dream has come true. That they come from a long line of people who have a firm moral foundation rather than simply do the right thing. That the rules that apply to everyone else also apply to them. That they have to embrace the greatness for which they were born. My oldest (4yrs) is getting it. She's happiest when she has a job, is pulling a load.

I saw a film awhile back titled, The Kingdom, I think. An FBI agent is killed in a bombing. His buddy, also a FBI agent, goes over to visit his dead friend's kids. And he tells the son something like, "Listen, your father was a friend of mine. That means you are now a friend of mine." Perhaps he goes on a bit but you get the idea. All the great experiences you have with Reggie are only your memories. Perhaps you can honor your friend by making sure his greatness isn't forgotten by passing on some of the more appropriate stories to his kids? Never let a fact get in the way of a good story either. If you know he was proud of his kids, then somehow get that across. And never tell anyone it isn't exactly the way it happened. Especially never tell a woman. If Reggie was always at your place for the Superbowl then ask his son to take his place next year.

Idle hands and all... you might consider creating some sort of memorial that isn't public. I know of a lot of memorials that are way out there that guys did for friends. Honda did that Brandon Smith memorial out near Tonopah where they encased an XR650R in concrete. There's a memorial way out in the Dez near Parker, AZ where a father made a memorial for a dead son. Somebody carried cement mix a long ways through the desert; there aren't roads there. You might do the same. And let his kids carry some concrete... Ty Davis and some guys created a few stickers only for true friends of Danny Hamel. I have one on the back of my dually's camper shell. It has the initials DH in the shape of an eye. With lettering around it that says across the top, Danny Hamel, and across the bottom, The Best There Ever Was. Someone put that on my camper shell because I only met the guy a time or two.

I'm sorry for your loss. It's the worst time of year to go through this.
Keep your chin to the wind brother.

Not hijacking here but this is a great idea.

Bump wrote:... you might consider creating some sort of memorial that isn't public. ... Ty Davis and some guys created a few stickers only for true friends of Danny Hamel. I have one on the back of my dually's camper shell.

That's what I did for our buddy using a pic of his bus. It's special for those he left behind.

Bakeray:

Man, I'm sorry to hear about your bro, Reggie.

I raise my glass to him for all the great memories he left you, and everyone he came in contact with.

Life is so f'in short. It kills me to see all the jerks around that just don't get it. As mentioned, please do something to help Reggie's memory live on. In death, that's one of the few things one can ask for.

I hope you are coping as best as possible.

Dave

Cheers...