A hard goodbye to a dear friend and a fellow hipforumer.

I'm not sure where else to post this, but I felt I needed to share. This Tuesday I lost my very good friend Chris. He was under the usernames techno overlord and phearhendrix. He was with his best friend who was driving drunk. His friend lost control of the car and it flipped several times ejecting both of them. My friend Chris was then hit by a second car. He was killed right away. I honestly can't believe he is gone. He was only 23. He was well and truly the most genuine kid you could ever meet. And I know if he had the chance to forgive his friend for killing him, he would have already done it without even thinking about it.

We had actually met for the first time here on hipforums about 6 years ago, even though we had lived but five blocks away from each other all of our lives. We found each other in an "Into the Wild" thread. We were both infatuated by the tale of Chris Mccandless. We had so many great times together. Honestly many of my best memories were with him. I can always look back and smile at our many rolls and trips we shared. No day was an ordinary day with Chris, it couldn't help but be an adventure. He had that effect on most people he encountered. He was always happy to see you, even if you were just an acquaintance to him. He had the most honest smile and he gave really good hugs. I'll never forget his laugh either, we shared so many laughs together.

I am happy to say he got to live his dreams. He hitchhiked around the country for the past few years of his life. Unfortunately I didn't get to hear from him much lately, but I can only imagine what his adventures had been like. He was adopted as a young kid, something he never talked to me about all too much, I know it bothered him. On his most recent adventure, he went all the way across the country and spent a few weeks with his biological mom. I hope this gave him some closure, I am sure it must have been at least some. It is hard to say goodbye to such a good friend and such a great person. After his death the true extent to which Chris had impacted people's life was revealed. It seems no matter where he went he spread joy all along with him. While some of his decisions were dumb, and leave me mourning, I can at least rest in the fact he lived his life how he truly wanted. He walked in the steps of his hero Chris Mccandless. He got to do a lot more living than most of us will, and I know he was very happy in last years of life.

I saw his last post was answering a question, "How do you want to die?" He wrote somewhere on the road, with my thumb out, placing one foot in front of the other. It's hard to believe be survived his adventures hitchhiking, only to be killed by his best friend on a stop home. Please don't drink and drive, life is too precious. I hope this doesn't turn into a drinking and driving post, it already has become that type of story over here. I just want this to be the remembrance of a free spirit, a kind heart and a great person who will be missed.

I just want to finish this with one cherished memory. It was one of the first times we rolled together. It was a bright sunny day and we were laying in a field surrounded by yellow flowers as bright as the sun. He had his iPod speakers on his chest blasting some techno song when a large monarch butterfly landed right on his heart and stood there for a minute beating it's wings perfectly in rhythm with the music. I'll never forget the look of pure joy on his face. I was always a bit jealous it landed on him, but now I'm glad it chose him. This memory will always make me smile.

 

Sorry for your loss, he sounds like a very interesting person. Sounds like someone I would liked to have know.

 

my condolences :grouphug:

 

Sorry for your loss. Sounds like a great person and wished I had gotten to know him.

 

peace and love <3

PLUR:love:

 

Sounds like he was a very cool dude. I'm sorry.

 

Wow, sorry to hear that.

Sad to see it happened the way it did.

 

sorry to hear that this happened. sounds like he was a pretty cool guy. it's a very young age to die, but it sounds like he did more living in that time than many people do in many more years

you may want to post on this thread about it

http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=140976&highlight=passed&f=2

 

Trippy, think I remember the username techno overlord

I'm too much of a chicken to get into a car with someone drunk

23 is too young

 

I'm very sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you.

 

I'm sorry to hear about this. So young.

 

Wow, man... So young. My condolences.

 

I am sorry for your (our) loss. :grouphug:

 

What a loss. He sounds wonderful and much like a man I fell in love with several years back.

One of my best friends passed away in an accident a year ago in January. We had a relationship much like that you describe of your friend. I'm sorry for this loss. For everyone that knew him.

I think I vaguely remember that user name.