Monday, May 30, 2016
Steve, my friend of 30 years! Death came too soon and you are gone too quick!
We met at my first full time job in the US in 1986, summarizing documents for large litigation cases. You liked to brag, tease, and compete with me as the top producer of the team. With your intelligence and diligence, you could continue as a legal document coder, but to secure health insurance, you took a job as a janitor. We pursued different career paths after that, but our friendship remained. I am your “Special Friend” because I dragged you to plays and movies you would normally not go: A Japanese films about 17th century Samurai, 《Normal Heart》, 《Joy Luck Club》…. The British film 《A Long Way Home has bought us so much laughers years later, whenever we remember going to that movie. It’s “…traitorously slow and boring” as you put it. You are my “Special Friend” because you opened my eyes to life of “poor class” in this country: those who could not hold a steady job due to mental/physical disabilities and those who live on food stamps. You don’t have much, but you always helped people around you who have less. For years, you drove Theresa, who has no car, to grocery shopping. You let John sleep on your living room couch when he was kicked out by his family. You helped your neighbor, Aunt Aggie, walking her dogs and taking care of her for till her death. Your passion and outages about politics amused me. Your compassion. integrity and dignity have my utmost respect!
In mid-90’s we moved away from Pittsburgh. You would write me long letters with life updates and we would visit each other at least once a year. When we got a phone call from you in last March, we knew something must go wrong. It’s only a month from your surgery, how could you be gone! I knew you choose to ease your pain instead of going through chemo, but I wish you had hung in there a few more days so that I could make it there to say “Goodbye”! I treasure the time we spent together and glad we have the memories that we shared.
