Sometimes, all you have to do is listen
Over the last few months I have been in contact, through Facebook, with a friend from High School.
He was the ultimate audio geek. I had wondered what happened to him after high school.
He had some highs, and now is in the lows. A few weeks ago he posted a video of himself in attempt to reach out to his friends. He was at the end of his rope. It pained me to watch him talk about his problems. It took a lot of guts to make the video he did. He has severe health issues, is gay (something I did not know until last year), and lost the love of his life due to his health problems. To top it all off he passed up the job he wanted in the radio industry - partially because of the health issues and partially due to his depression.
This last week he launched an online radio station and hoped his friends online would listen and send in requests. It was just a Saturday night thing. He has over 80 thousand songs on his server.
My daughter and I tuned in while playing Wizard 101. She and I both had requests, as did a few other friends who remembered he was online that night.
The joy in his voice meant more to me than the songs. He is alone, scared, and in a terrible place - but last Saturday night I heard my old friend happy once again. And all it took was listening to him. He was so happy to be playing the DJ for others. It meant the world to him.
And all me and my daughter did was listen and request songs. She tested his ability with songs I didn't even know, and he spun them up and mentioned her. He was in his happy place doing what he loved.
There were nights I remember needing folks to just listen. And listen they did.
We need each other, especially in times like these - and sometimes all we need is someone to just spend a few minutes out of their day to listen.
My friend is facing a trial in life I cannot personally relate to. But my support of him means something to him. As does yours to so many others.
In the end you and I are not the enemy - it is not me against you. It is us against a whole host of them. That is the DU I have known for so many years.
The poor, the sick, those most in need are being left behind in many ways. But not here, not by you.
Sometimes, it just helps people to have others listen.
To those over the years who have always said 'pay it forward' I have. I am hoping to introduce my friend to the people here on DU - I think it would be a good place for him to get support.
This one is for you Mike:
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