A Good Friend has Passed Away

So, I'm not really certain what I'm supposed to do right now.  Today we found out that a good friend of mine passed away Saturday evening.  What do you do when someone suddenly isn't there.  You don't have much choice but to go on living.  It feels like everything should be changed now, but it's not, and that seems really just as strange as the thought that he's gone.

Brad Wright was a good friend.  He was that guy that everyone who met him was glad to have had that chance.  There was a core joy to him, even when he was extremely frustrated, he was still able to laugh and make others laugh.  He had experienced the sort of pain I never would wish on anyone, losing a child when he was very young, and yet he didn't grow bitter because of that pain.  Brad was the guy you could count on in any sort of pinch.  A lot of the time, Brad didn't seem to have enough money to splurge on himself, but he always had enough to help other people.  He would just randomly pick up someone's check from time to time because he felt like being nice or helping out. 

He grew up in New York, and had some very interesting insights that he shared from those experiences.  He was a veteran, having served in the USAF.  The best story I ever heard him tell about his time in the service involved him tanning.  He would go out to the pool every day to read, and everyday some lady would keep complaining about him being in her spot.  Well evidently he got tired of this and so one day he went out and bought some white body paint, or something similar and put that on under his swim suit.  When she came up and started complaining he told her that he was out there tanning too because he was as pale as her when he started.  She didn't believe him so he pulled down part of his bathing suit to show her and evidently she ran away in shock.  On the other hand, he didn't get hassled for having her spot at the pool anymore.

Brad was also my convention travel companion.  I've roomed with him for almost every convention I've gone to in Dallas the last few years.  We'd drive down and both have fun, we were actually talking about making the trip for Fandays in October this year on Saturday, I wish I would've known that was going to be our last conversation.  One thing to know about rooming with Brad though, he snored.  And I don't me he made some noise.  I mean it sounded like a jet engine being powered by a chainsaw that was manned by a rabid badger had been shoved up his nose.  I almost never got any sleep the first night of a convention, and then by the second night I was tired enough to just sleep through the noise. 

He was nice always nice enough to help me out with photos at conventions.  Though he was a bit camera shy himself.  He also was always happy to just stand in line and hang while we were waiting for autographs.  (It's thanks to him that I have a great Huntress sketch by Amanda Connor).  He also was my contact for fundraising that we did with the Children's Miracle Network a couple of years.  He was a part of the group that I game with on Saturday nights, and one of my poker buddies for whenever we would get together for a night of cards.  Brad had a special knack for waking up just in time to roll his dice and do something amazing.  Once he rolled a Natural 1 and rather than cause a problem he successfully took out every enemy in the room. 

I'm not sure what more to say here.  Brad was my friend, and I am going to miss his kind heart and good nature.  I don't know how better to honor him, but I hope to find a way.  You will be missed my friend, may you rest in peace.