Nocturne in Red and Bold

I play this game with myself sometimes where I imagine different events that must have happened in the course of human history.

Tonight I had fun imagining the first dude who ate a habanero pepper.

Oh tight

I’m excited to find out that Cassie from Skins will be joining Chris from Skins in season 2 of Game of Thrones.

Zach Jones

My friend Zach Jones died yesterday, September 3rd.  He was my best friend.  He was everyone’s best friend.  Everyone knew they could count on Zach Jones to make them laugh and make them feel loved.

In my chronic cynicism, I’ve always thought that people were made out to be more than they were at their funerals.  Everyone remembered the best, etc., etc.  But goddamn, Zach Jones was the real deal.  Everything I’m going to say about him is absolutely true and anyone who knew him would agree.  He was the most amazing person in all of our lives.

Zach was the funniest person I ever knew.  He could always make me laugh.  He was impressively funny.  He could make anyone he met laugh.  I can’t remember anyone who didn’t think Zach was funny within 5 minutes of meeting him.  Everyone who met Zach Jones knew he was hilarious.

Zach was also an amazingly talented artist.  Everything Zach did impressed me.  There have been times in my life where I would listen to Zach Jones songs more than any other artist’s.  I would listen to Zach’s songs over and over again, and with each listen, I was further convinced that Zach’s songs should be on the radio.  I wanted everyone to hear his songs because they were so fun and smart and joyful.  Zach had a fully realized artistic voice that you could see in everything he did.  You could tell Zach had written a song just by listening to it.

Sometimes in Athens I would listen to a Zach Jones song just to feel like I was hanging out with him.  At my most despondent in Athens, when I felt angry at the school and angry at myself for going there, when I would swear I should move back to Charleston and should have never left, I would invariably say something to the effect of:

“And Athens doesn’t have anyone near as cool as Zach Jones.  Everyone in Athens sucks shit compared to Zach.”

Zach was an accomplished rapper, a gifted lyricist and a fantastic frontman for Italian Cuisine.  He was good at everything he did, and he was always able to express himself so clearly.  You could feel Zach Jones in everything he made.  Even his drawings were impressive.  Everything he drew made me laugh or made me stop and think.

Everyone who met Zach Jones loved him.  You could hang out with Zach Jones one time and remember it forever.  I feel so lucky to have spent as much time with him as I did, because I was able to experience the unique joy of being around him more than most people.  I hung out with Zach more times than I can count, and I am so lucky to have done so.  

Every time I hung out with Zach was one of the most fun times I’ve had in my life.  I had so much fun every time I hung out with him.  He made every moment memorable.  In high school, I would become giddy at the prospect of spending time with him because I knew that, whatever we did, we would have an amazing time.  I would look forward to seeing Zach in the halls each day between classes.  Seeing Zach even for a few minutes was always the highlight of my day in high school.

Zach Jones was a wonderful friend.  He would always go to bat for you if it came to it.  He would always go along with whatever idea you had even if it was kinda stupid, and he would make it fun.  He made everything fun.  He would save a joke if it wasn’t that funny, and make you seem funnier in the process.  

He loved to laugh.  He loved to have fun.  He loved to play.

I will never forget my friend Zach Jones.  I love him and miss him a great deal, but he left me with more memories of good times than anyone could have asked for, and for that I am truly grateful.  

Zach Jones was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  He will remain in the hearts and minds of everyone he knew for the rest of their lives.

Goodbye Zach.  I can’t believe you’re gone.  I love you.